Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
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.

Thursday, May 02, 2019

‘JAZZ ARTISTS OF THE YEAR’ TO HEADLINE FESTIVAL IN DURHAM

 PRESS RELEASE

DJAZZ : The Durham City Jazz Festival

Various venues
Durham City
June 7th - 9th
Tickets: £20 available from buytickets.at/djazz

A festival is bringing together an eclectic mix of regional, national and international musicians to Durham, including multi award winning artists at the cutting edge of jazz, and placing them in the city’s most iconic buildings.

Now in its 3rd year, DJAZZ: The Durham City Jazz Festival brings you an eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional jazz set against the backdrop of some of Durham's most intriguing venues. Highlights include 2 x MOBO award winner Moses Boyd who will be headlining at Redhills: Durham Miners Hall and 2018’s ‘Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year' Arun Ghosh, who will be opening the festival.


The festival brings a fresh perspective to the world of jazz, celebrating its vast and varied nature. The focus is to bring together a number of different musical styles, groups, networks and audiences in the small but perfectly formed city of Durham. At only £20 for a full weekend ticket festival-goers gain access to over 20 events ranging from intimate sets in hidden locations to big names in big venues! Think cafes, pop-ups and bars to venues and iconic historic buildings. This not only has the effect of pairing up acts with a unique environment but is part of the festival’s ambition to reach new audiences and get music lovers to try something new!

So one minute you’re watching multi-award winning Moses Boyd Exodus in the historic Durham Miners Hall, Redhills - and the next you’re in the 25 capacity Holy Grale for an intimate solo set.

The organisers encourage anyone who is interested in live music to engage with the festival, and not to be deterred by the term ‘Jazz’. The genre has enjoyed a huge resurgence over the past few years as we find ourselves now within a period of exciting UK revival.

Carlo Viglianisi says:
“Jazz can be quite a loaded phrase but the truth is, jazz as a genre can be traced through almost every form of music since the 1920s. At our festival you’ll hear everything from new straight ahead trios and bossa nova right through to grime and electro. You’ll definitely catch the best examples of Jazz as you think you know it, and jazz as you don’t know it”


Collaboration plays an important part of the festival not only in bringing musicians together but also by working with the local businesses to transform existing spaces into festival venues for the weekend.

Heather Spencer says:
“Not only will you see a diverse range of artists from a local, national and international stage but from all angles of the festival, we seek to create an environment that makes everyone welcome through our collaborative approach. We work with so many different partners, from local groups to student societies and small businesses to big organisations meaning we have no single core audience - DJAZZ is truly a festival for everyone.”

Taking place across multiple venues in the city audiences will experience jazz in all of its forms in a range of unique and intriguing venues.

The festival venues are:
     Durham Cathedral
     Redhills: Durham Miners Hall
     The Square at The Riverwalk
     Pop-up hub at The Riverwalk
     Pop-up jazz bar st The Riverwalk
     The Norman Chapel at Durham Castle
     The Holy GrAle

Featured acts include:
     Moses Boyd Exodus - 2X MOBO Award winner (link)
     Arun Ghosh - 2018 Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year (link)
     Paul Edis and Graeme Wilson - Durham Cathedral pipe organ and saxophone (link)
     Between Waves - Archipelago + Fran Bundey - Newcastle based genre-fluid trio featuring electronic vocal-looping artist Fran Bundey
     Ceitidh Mac - Cello, vibraphone/percussion, vocals, reeds and synths - blending alt-folk and mellow vocals
     The Nu Bossa Band - Porteguese father-daughter duo with stunning sax and percussion - music spanning the afro-cuban and latin tradition
     Kinesis + Paul Grainger - local drumming star Abbie Finn returns to Durham with her duo - then trio - showing the changing timbre of the music
     LoLanders - Collaboration between leading Scottish and Dutch jazz musicians - an exciting sextet of varied influences: Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Scottish and Highland tradition and the Asian diaspora
.
Full line up is at: https://djazzfestival.co.uk/

Contact:
Carlo Viglianisi
07787 144 894

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