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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

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.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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, August 25, 2019

Ushaw Jazz Festival: Late night jam session - August 24

(Review by Russell)

It was another run of the mill jam session as three familiar faces - Messrs Edis, Grainger and Morgan - kicked things off with I'm Old Fashioned followed by Blame it on My Youth (pianist Paul Edis singing on both of them). This was to be anything but yer usual drop-by-and-have-a-blow affair.

At the end of a long day the house trio wasted no time inviting the first of the sitters-in to have a blow. This was the late night knockings of day two at the 2019 Ushaw Jazz Festival with an A-list cast queueing up at the bar. First to join the party was Birmingham Conservatoire undergraduate pianist Will Markham who wanted to take a look at Stella by Starlight. From here on in, 'til gone midnight, it was a bewildering roster of A -listers tackling the likes of It Could Happen to You and If I Should Lose You.

This 2019 edition of the Ushaw Jazz Festival late night jam session attracted and retained a sizeable audience, there for the duration. Matt Anderson (tenor), Chris Biscoe (killer alto), local hero Francis Tulip (guitar) more than holding his own, fellow Birmingham wunderkind Kai Chareunsy riding effortlessly on Russ Morgan's cymbals (our house drummer adjourning to the bar to catch up with Pete Cater) - all were up blowing, soon to be joined by the evening's star concert performer Tony Kofi to blow yet more heavy duty baritone. 

All jam sessions seem to produce a highlight among highlights and as the evening approached its end someone called Rhythm-a-ning. Now then, seemingly everyone got on board, at one point Edis, Markham and the superb Durham University undergraduate Ben Lawrence threatened to make it not a four hander but a six hander as Tulip stood his ground alongside the horns trading out front with Mr PG - that's bassist Paul Grainger - bossing it in the engine room. This was classic jam session fayre.

To close - and to give everyone a breather - Edis and Kofi played Isfahan. A memorable moment, that's for sure. Gone midnight the stand filled with every last one of the sitters-in including a belated stint from drummer Pete Cater as we went out on a blues in G. Day three - Sunday - would soon be dawning.           
Russell

Paul Edis (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Will Markham (piano); Matt Anderson (tenor sax); Chris Biscoe (alto sax); Francis Tulip (guitar); Tony Kofi (baritone sax); Kai Chareunsy (drums); Ben Lawrence (piano); Pete Cater (drums).

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