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Bebop Spoken There

Xhosa Cole: ''Monk was unapologetically himself". (Jazzwise, February 2025).

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

17744 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 64 of them this year alone and, so far, 64 this month (Jan. 26).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 12 noon-2:00pm (two sets). £12.00. admission (card or cash at the door). Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums). Note change of venue, no longer at Mrs M’s as advertised, the concert will be in the Old Library (Bishop Auckland Jazz’s regular venue). Important! It’s a ‘BYOB’ arrangement - ie bring your own booze (and/or tea, coffee, soft drinks).
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: Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:00pm. ‘Klezmer, Gypsy Jazz, Balkan & More!’.
Fri 31: Nothing in Rambling @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00. + bf. Country blues duo.
Fri 31 Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Wylam Institute. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf.
Fri 31: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £10.00 + bf. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.
Fri 31: Alan Barnes Quartet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00 Barnes (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 31: SwanNek + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. SwanNek’s new single launch gig. Pilgrim, formerly Hoochie Coochie.
Fri 31: King Bees @ Blues Underground; Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

February 2025

Sat 01: Alan Barnes & John Hallam with the Tom Kincaid Trio @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - Cy Coleman’s Witchcraft. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 01: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 01: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Western swing etc.

Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 02: Jive Aces @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Sun 02: John Pope + Andy Champion + Ian Paterson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Subterranean Explorations 1’. Three (half hour) solo bass sets.
Sun 02: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 03: Andy Watt & Dan Rogers @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance. Jazz, blues, folk etc.
Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 04: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.
Tue 04: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Phillips, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 04: Dilutey Juice + Life Aquatics Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Sunday, April 21, 2019

The Cookers, Cécile & the blues...all night long

(Preview by Russell)

There's a good helping of jazz 'n' blues on TV and radio this week. Tonight at ten o'clock on ITV there is a one hour programme - Bublé - featuring the said Micky Bubbles backed by a 36-piece orchestra. Of particular interest to regular BSH readers is a promised duet with Cécile McLorin Salvant (singing La Vie en Rose). The show will be repeated next Friday (April 26) at 10:45pm. Best to watch it this evening because on Friday over on BBC 4 you'll have the blues all night long...

From nine o'clock on Friday it's blues all the way. John Lee Hooker: the Boogie Man is an 'in-his-own-words' documentary about the legendary Mississippi bluesman. Some of the usual talking heads contribute including Van the Man, Keef and Bonnie Raitt. Talking of Mr Richards, at 10:00pm The Rolling Stones at the BBC is a repeat of a 2012 programme which, at the time, included previously unseen footage from Top of the Pops
Blues and Beyond with Cerys Matthews and Val Wilmer follows at ten with broadcaster Matthews teaming up with esteemed writer and photographer (of dozens of jazz and blues greats*) Wilmer. It's a repeat but this is one occasion when it's a most welcome opportunity to see it again. The final programme of the evening - Blues at the BBC - is yet another repeat (starting at a quarter to midnight), however, alongside archive material of Slowhand, Freddie King and others, there is the rarest of rare film of Son House! 

Tune in to Radioland tonight (the pictures are better), Radio 2, 10:00pm, to listen to The Swing and Big Band Show with Clare Teal. At eleven it's Jools Holland (Radio 2) with an 'in-session' set from Cedric Burnside. The grandson of RL Burnside recently gave a terrific, down home, electric country blues performance at Cluny 2 in Newcastle.  

Easter Monday - clear the decks! First, Huey Morgan sits in for Cerys Matthews on The Blues Show (Radio 2, 9:00pm) then retune to Radio 3 (11:00pm) to catch Jazz Now. The Cookers - that's David Weiss' NYC-based super group - feature in a live set presented by Soweto Kinch. Sharing the stage with trumpeter Weiss will be Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Donald Harrison (alto sax), Billy Harper (tenor sax), Danny Grissett (piano), Essiet Essiet (bass) and drummer Victor Lewis.  

Tuesday (Radio 2, 9:00pm) it's The Jazz Show with Jamie Cullum. Always worth a listen, this week particularly so, with Jean Toussaint talking jazz with Cullum. Finally, on Friday (April 26) there's another radio repeat. Friday Night is Music Night (Radio 2, 8:00pm) was recorded in 2017 at Billingham's Forum Theatre. Madeline Bell, Anthony Strong, Joe Stilgoe and others are joined by the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform classic arrangements by Gordon Goodwin, Stan Kenton, Nelson Riddle and others. So, some good viewing and listening during the week but don't forget to get out and about - as the MU says: Keep Music Live!

Those lucky enough to be part of last night's sold out Strictly Smokin' Big Band Great Day in Harlem concert at Gosforth Civic Theatre will, no doubt, want to see yet more evocative images of some of the truly great characters of jazz and blues.     
Russell.
Link to Hugh's comment.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Thanks for the listings Russell - seems like the BBC are covering their backs and replacing their jazz content with more blues. To each his own...

Hugh said...

Perhaps this might tick some "jazz" boxes:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/jazz-625

:-)

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