Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED PERMANENTLY!
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: King Bees @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb blues band.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Swamp Stomp String Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 22: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

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, May 26, 2019

Singin' The Blues

Watching the League One play-off final between Sunderland and Charlton Athletic, which ended in a heartbreaking last-minute goal that gave victory to the Londoners, left me with mixed emotions and, despite which side of the river you are from - Tyne or Wear - it seemed as though we should be united in our grief at the failure of a local team to dunk a team from quite a few rivers south.

In football, it doesn't work like that, irrespective of the fact that a Sunderland win would have brought Newcastle and Sunderland closer to playing moneyspinning derby games the community in the pub set down the demarcation lines - one fan's joy another's sorrow.

There's racism in football but it isn't just related to the colour of your skin, it's also down to the colour of your shirt. Friends, families have been distanced by the politics of what, at the end of the day is, just a game and, despite what Bill Shankly was once quoted as saying, it isn't much more serious than life and death.

Which brings me around to a comment by Branford Marsalis in last month's DownBeat.

"I cheer for The Saints, I want them to win. Notice I don't say I want us to win. My father helped me understand that "we" benefits the team, but it doesn't really benefit you since you don't receive any of the largesse of their success. So you need to create a line that delineates what you support from what you actually are." 

There's a life outside of football, jazz or whatever your penchant is and, what's more, it's all the sweeter when you return...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm just going to play me some blues...
Lance

2 comments :

Steve T said...

I've never got the concept of judging people by how many stretches of water there are between where I was born and where they were born. Nor have I ever found it helpful that others do, including politicians when it suits them.

JERRY said...

Couldn't agree more, Lance. Sunderland til' I die, but I like NUFC to win, or 'boro (as long as they are not playing us!!). When I came North (1968) many people would go to whichever home game was on - so I was quite familiar with and comfortable with St James's Park. I hate the modern tribalism which reflects societal change where people no longer respect difference, no longer respect each other, just turn inwards and hate!
Remember Bobby Moncur? Remember Pop Robson? There were no absurd taboos back then.
I was at Wembley yesterday and was disappointed by the result - though frankly not surprised - and witnessed the unedifying sight of SAFC fans fighting each other two rows in front of me after the final whistle! It's not life and death - there are no enemies - and if you get to the point of hitting each other and even your "friends", where does the madness go next?

Blog Archive