Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Mon 11: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 12: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: 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 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Saturday, June 01, 2019

Preview: DJazz (June 7-9)

(Preview by Russell)

Friday (June 7) marks the opening of this year's DJazz. What's in a name? D for Durham, Jazz for, well, jazz. Now in its third year, DJazz: The Durham City Jazz Festival will once again announce itself across the city in venues one wouldn't necessarily associate with jazz. If there's a secret to DJazz that's it - taking jazz to unusual places and (some) unsuspecting people. 

Imposing venues (Redhills, Durham Cathedral, to name but two) and more humble establishments (Holy GrAle, Riverwalk Festival Hub 'Pop-up') will present a range of contemporary artists; three days, seven venues, twenty-one performances, all for twenty quid. Redhills, known as the 'Pitmen's Parliament', presents Arun Ghosh on Friday evening and twenty-four hours later this year's DJazz headliner will be none other than Moses Boyd. The drummer of Binker and Moses' fame will be in town with his London-based Exodus project. Arrive early, Redhills will be busy!
Sunday's fayre includes the intriguing prospect of pianist Paul Edis playing Durham Cathedral's pipe organ. Musician/educator/promoter Edis will be in good company working alongside Edinburgh-based Graeme Wilson playing an assortment of reeds. Three top draw concerts for the paltry sum of £20. And there's more, much more - festival gigs, a jam session, a seminar, DJ sessions - all for twenty quid! The cost of admission has got to be the bargain of the year! 

The DJazz Festival Hub at Riverwalk, adjacent to the much-missed Empty Shop venue, is surrounded by eateries and watering holes to suit all tastes. Homegrown talent includes drummers Abbie Finn and Matt MacKellar leading their respective bands, Tyneside-based Not Now Charlie will be in town, LoLanders are on the schedule, as is George Burt. Special mention of improvising guitarist Burt's appearance - the venue, Holy GrAle, Durham's bottled beer shop on Crossgate, is tiny, so, it's first come first served!

Full details of DJazz: The Durham City Jazz Festival can be found at www.djazzfestival.co.uk
Russell

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