Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18721 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 585 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 18) 49

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

July

Sat 25: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. Cheek to Cheek - Ella Fitgerald. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café (within Next), MetroCentre, Gateshead. 2:00-3:00pm. Free.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Bright Street Big Band @ Sandhaven Amphitheatre, South Shields. 3.30-5.30pm.
Sun 26: Jo Harrop & Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.
Sun 26: King Bees @ Luckies, Jesmond, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: Liam & Shayo @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Liam Oliver (guitar), Shayo Oshodi (vocals).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ Music Dept., Durham University. 9:15pm. A Durham Fringe Festival event

Thu 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 30: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes. .

Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Milne Glendinning Band @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00-9:00pm. £6.00. A Berwick Fringe Festival event. £6.00 (£6.00 wristband access to all Fringe events).

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Jambone @ Sage Gateshead - April 26

(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Chris K)

Sage Gateshead's youth jazz orchestra assembled on the concourse prior to the much-anticipated celebration of Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in a sold out Sage Two (see LL's review). MD Paul Edis prepared a challenging programme of modal-era jazz confident that Jambone's current crop of musicians would acquit themselves with distinction.  

Jamboners are in their teens but that doesn't deter them from tackling material that many a seasoned musician would think twice about. It would appear MD Edis believes they can do it and, in front of scores of Sage patrons, the ensemble set about proving him right.

Solos rippled through the sections, all impressed; Lucien Guest, standing tall alongside Great North Big Band Jazz Festival award-winning trumpeter Ferg Kilsby, the lesser known reeds Jack Pearce and Zac Parlby,   inheritor of Ben Lawrence's piano chair Edgar Ho, the rhythm kings Alex Shipsey and Dylan Thompson (DT sharing percussion duties with Maeve Thorpe) and the one-to-watch, vocalist Emily McDermott. 

Ronnie Scott's is sixty as are two iconic albums. In March 1959 Miles Davis recorded Porgy and Bess and from it, McDermott sang It Ain't Necessarily So. The Davis-Gil Evans chart worked well, the ensemble listening to one another, eyes on Edis, our MD on top of things. Fast forward a matter of weeks to April 1959 to the biggest selling jazz album of all time - Kind of Blue. Muted Miles wasn't particularly evident here on the concourse, more the sense of time (Shipsey nailing Paul Chambers)  and collective feel for the piece - All Blues

Jambone is a fluid, constantly evolving beast. Young musicians (13-19) interested in auditioning for the ensemble should, in the first instance, contact Sage Gateshead. Bursaries may be available.      
Russell     

Jambone: Paul Edis (Musical Director); Emily McDermott (vocals); Lucien Guest (trumpet); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet); Megan Robinson (flute); Haaruun Miller (tenor sax, soprano sax); Zac Parlby (tenor sax); Jack Pearce (alto sax); Ben Knivett (baritone sax); Tom Henerey (guitar); Edgar Ho   (piano); Alex Shipsey (double bass); Dylan Thompson (drums, percussion); Maeve Thorpe (drums, percussion)

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