Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 2026)

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

From This Moment On

April

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm.
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Saturday evening @ Bix Fest, Racine, Wisconsin - March 9

(Review by Russell)

They get dressed up for this one. Saturday evening at Bix Fest features some of the very best classic jazz era musicians to be found anywhere on the planet. Hot Chicago jazz, N'Awlins’ finest, ragtime masters and Wisconsin's own, this was to be a veritable feast of jazz. 

Reginald Robinson entertained the rapidly filling room with a selection of blues and ragtime numbers some of which were original compositions. Robinson's Little Dave Blues was inspired by his father's rather unusual day (night?) job...driver to mobster John Dillinger! Racine is but a short hop on the freeway from Chicago and this evening there were one or two mobster types at Bix Fest, thankfully they were swing dancers dressed to the nines. Hey, is that Bogie over there?! 

Robinson's partner in crime - sorry, ragtime - John Reed-Torres belatedly arrived to play Queen's Rag. Meanwhile, none of the guys appeared to be packing heat as they escorted their gals onto the by now crowded dance floor. 

Milwaukee's Sweet Sheiks took to the stage to play their opening set. Clarinet/alto sax, trombone, guitar/musical saw, banjo/guitar, brass bass and washboard, the young local six-piece kept the dancers on their feet with an hour or so of favourite numbers including Dr Jazz and The Sheik of Araby. 

The feted Cellar Boys (see photo) arrived from Chicago's Southside with all guns blazing. Don't panic! This wasn't a contract job to wipe out a rival mobster, this was Andy Schumm leading a storming set of Chicago jazz with the A-Team on the job. Working with Schumm this evening were John Otto (reeds), Paul Asaro (piano), John Donatowitz (banjo) and Dave Bock (brass bass). Hey, they needed a moll to sing a few numbers with the band. Hey Roya, come on, why don't ya join the boys on the stand? Roya Naldi, every inch the flapper, feigned indifference, this gal is a star in the making singing Guilty, Somebody Stole My Gal (Guy) and several others. What a dame! 

Top that! And they did, the Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band, that is. Last heard during the Durham (England) Brass Festival 2018, the all-female six piece outfit from N'Awlins played a killer set. Marla Dixon (trumpet, vocals), Chloe Feoranzo (clarinet, vocals), Haruka Kikuchi (trombone, vocals) - see photo of Chloe and Haruka waiting to take to the stage –, Molly Reeves (guitar, vocals), Julie Schexnadery (string bass) and Defne 'Dizzy' Incirlioglu (washboard) wowed the hard-partying Bixians. Wild Women Don't Get the Blues insisted Marla Dixon. One hour later the Shake 'Em Up girls left the stage to tumultuous applause. And guess what? This was just the mid-way point of the evening! The Shake ‘Em Ups, the Cellar Boys and the Sweet Sheiks returned to each play a second set. Fast forward to 1:00am, second sets done, the dance floor still crowded, it was time for an early hours jam session here at Bix Fest 2019. 
Russell
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