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

18680 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 544 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 3) 8

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

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 07: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Sax on the Tyne @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £8.00. Feat. Sax on the Tyne & St George’s Community Choir.
Wed 08: Abbie Finn Trio @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 09: 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 10: Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Olly Styles & Jacob Egglestone @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 10: Archipelago @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:00pm . New album fundraiser gig.
Fri 10: King Bees @ Rebel Yell, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

Sat 11: Spanish City Rollers @ Community Stage: Mouth of the Tyne Festival, Front Street, Tynemouth. 12 noon. Free.
Sat 11: Jazz Stage: Mouth of the Tyne Festival (o/s Tynemouth Priory), Tynemouth. Free. Vieux Carré Hot 4 (12 noon); Rendezvous Jazz (1:00pm); Castillo Nuevo Trio (2:00pm); Classic Swing (3:00pm); Abbie Finn Trio (4:00pm). Day 1/2.
Sat 11: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man + Adam Millington @ St John’s Chapel, Town Hall, Weardale DL13 1QF. 5:00pm (doors). £16.26., £10.84., £8.67., £5.42 (under 18).
Sat 11: Milne Glendinning Band @ Langley Tracks, Langley-on-Tyne. 5:30pm.
Sat 11: Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:30pm.
Sat 11: Karberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 7:00pm. £7.00.
Sat 11: Ray Quinn: The King of Swing @ The Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.

Friday, April 12, 2019

Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Lit & Phil - April 12

Noel Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
(Review by Russell/photos courtesy of Brian Ebbatson)

The year is 1958: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for coming down to the village this afternoon for a very special performance by the Noel Dennis Quartet. And before the guys make a start can I remind you that next week Noel and the guys will be at 17 East 126th Street in Harlem to take part in some sort of photographic project by a kinda crazy young cat called Art Kane. I don't know if it'll come to anything but a whole bunch of other cats...I've heard that Dizzy will be there, Basie, oh, yeah Sonny Rollins, maybe Monk...so, if you can, get down to see what it's all about. Okay, I think the guys are going to kick things off with Beautiful Love. Over to you Noel...

The year is 2019: Beautiful Love opened the show to a full house here at the Lit & Phil here in downtown Newcastle. Noel Dennis, the hottest trumpet player around, has been working with the guys for some time although their busy schedules mean they rarely get together to play a gig but this afternoon, as easy as you like, they picked up where they left off.  

Miles Davis was a huge fan of Noel, it was clearly evident in his sound at around the time he recorded Kind of Blue that he'd been listening to the Teessider, especially during the Noel Dennis Quartet's sold out week-long run at the Five Spot. Dennis knows Beautiful Love inside out, Miles could only dream of possessing such fluency, invention and full-bodied tone.     

Our trumpeter acknowledged Miles with a sublime take on All Blues and with Bill Evans on this Lit and Phil gig it was just like listening to Paul Edis. Blue in Green is sure to be one of the key numbers the next time Noel Dennis goes into the studio, trumpet or flugelhorn, we were listening to the Teessider's trademark sound backed by the immaculate Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. 

The year is 1969: Here in the village, Noel is running the voodoo down with a killer take on Pharaoh’s Dance, Andy Champion laying down the hypnotic bass line. Unlike Miles, Noel didn't turn his back on the Lit and Phil audience. Cool, that's Noel.

The year is 1959: The Plaza Hotel, NYC, the Noel Dennis Quartet. It's late into the evening, the session is being recorded with a view to releasing it as a 'live' album. Noel is in mellow mood, Victor Young's masterpiece Stella by Starlight holds the audience in its thrall, a master at work. 

The year is 1959/2019: Noel/Miles with the spirit of Bird in his horn here at the Lit and Phil on 52nd Street decided to close the set with Au Privave. Wow! Noel, Paul, Andy and Russ left 'em all in their wake. These guys should record this stuff. Watch this space...         
Russell
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