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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: 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 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

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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