Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

19,012 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 876 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 16) 55.

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

October.

Sat 17: SunOrbitUs @ Culture House, Sunderland. 11:00am - 5:00pm. Closing event in a year-long piece of music. 11:00am-1:00pm Improvisation workshop w. Faye MacCalman; 2:00-5:00pm Collective Improvised Performance by Sunderland residents. SOLD OUT!
Sat 17: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 17: Martin Taylor @ Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £48.72; £43.37. Solo guitar. SOLD OUT!

Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Jump jive.
Sun 18: Guisborough Big Band @ Redcar Rugby Club. 5:00-8:00pm. ‘Charity Big Band Birthday Bash’ in aid of Parkinson’s UK & Young Sounds UK. Free (donations on the door).
Sun 18: Martin Taylor @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £23.30. Solo guitar.
Sun 18: Ben Crosland Quartet with Steve Waterman @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Pete Tanton (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Tue 20: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Head, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Tickets from Tully’s, Rothbury. Coquetdale Jazz. Note change of venue.
Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Scotty Adair.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: FILM: Blue Moon @ Washington Arts Centre. 1:00pm. £4.50 (inc. bf). Biopic of lyricist Lorenz Hart.
Wed 21: De'Sean Jones’ Urban Art Orchestra @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.; £5.00. student, unwaged; free to Mercury Awards ticket holders. De'Sean Jones (tenor sax, EWI); Tjoe Man Cheung (guitar); Mikele Montolli (double bass) + others TBA.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 21: Roby Glod-Steve Sewell Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Thu 22: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 22: Mercury Prize @ Utility Arena Newcastle. 8:00pm. £60.25.; £48.75. Line-up inc. Knats.
Thu 22: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bandstand!, Exhibition Park, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.20 (inc. bf) via Instagram. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Thu 22: Olly Styles Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.75.

Fri 23: Sara Oschlag w. Arnie Somogyi Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. Sara Oschlag (vocals); Ben Lawrence (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); John Hirst (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Maja Bugge & Dave Evans @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival.
Fri 23: Knats @ King Street Social Club, North Shields. 7:00pm. £17.00., £14.70., £11.30., £5.50. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.
Fri 23: Sara Oschlag & Arnie Somogyi w. Ben Lawrence @ Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. Sara Oschlag (vocals); Ben Lawrence (keyboards); Arnie Somogyi (double bass).
Fri 23: Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook @ Redhills, Durham. 8:00pm. James Pearson (piano); Sam Burgess (double bass); Chris Higginbottom (drums); Alex Garnett (sax); Polly Gibbons (vocals). Durham Jazz Festival. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: SwanNek + Jacob Egglestone @ Fabio’s Bar, Durham. 9:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival.

Sunday, April 07, 2019

Best Wishes to Dave Weisser.

Sad to report that the iconic modern jazz cornetist/vocalist Dave Weisser has been hospitalised after a fall. Dave and Jude were in a Durham bookstore where Dave missed his footing causing some quadricep damage. His leg is in plaster. 

Dave, whose Take it to the Bridge workshops are now part of northeast jazz-lore, has long been an inspirational figure for aspiring jazz musicians, encouraging everyone who takes part in his long-running Wednesday night sessions currently held at the Globe, Newcastle. Many of the region's big-hitters dipped their toes in the water there or at previous venues such as the Chilli on Chilli Rd. He is a legend and always will be.

Sincere best wishes and may he recover from this latest setback asap.
Lance.

14 comments :

Pam & Dave (on F/b) said...

Aww best wishes Dave for a speedy recovery Pam and Dave Clarke x

Jude Murphy (on F/b) said...

I'll pass on your best wishes tomorrow Lance.
Meanwhile, I have to tell you this as it's such a typically Dave response even while in severe pain.
His first thought after he missed that damn step was to locate the biography of Trane that he'd dropped in the process!

Chris Barker said...

I remember Dave from my days in JG Windows in the late 70s. My enduring memory of him was asking me if I had any araldite cos his crown had come out and he wanted to glue it back in! (it worked too)

Russell said...

Good on yer Dave, the Trane biography is more important than a mere leg injury!

Roly said...

Very sorry to hear of this Dave. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Best wishes
Roly

Lance said...

Must have been Giant Steps where he fell.

Unknown said...

Get well soon Dave, all the way from Japan! You don't need your leg to play trumpet though, so no excuses!

Lance said...

See also my Facebook page for more comments - https://www.facebook.com/lance.liddle

Norman said...

Hi Dave it should be me tripping up steps not you but thanks for taking my turn! Hope you are up and about soon
Norman

Anonymous said...

From Ann Alex, Dave, you are always so encouraging to me with my singing, best wishes for better health soon, love, Ann

berti said...

Get well soon Dave.....you were a miss at Keith's plaque unveiling last Sunday.

Patti said...

And very best wishes for a tolerably pain free rehab, Dave - from Trumpet Towers in West Jesmond. Patti xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Dave Sorry to hear of your fall. I know what you are going through as I broke my leg and needed a complete HIP re -placement Get well soon.

Kindest regards Raymond Newton Double Bass /Cello Bass Guitar player.

Simonne15 said...

As so many of the posts above are now a couple of years old I thought it worth saying...... Its great to see Dave Weisser getting to the Globe each Wednesday, enjoying other people making music with Jude's encouragement and bringing in new players each week as Dave always has done. For example we have all enjoyed Laura's amazing contribution and are in awe of her youthful skill.
What a wonderful regular group who also encourage new talent - and Dave still sings us the odd verse in his inimitable way.

Mike & Pauline

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