Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18429 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 13 ) 27,

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

April

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Tue 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval NE25 0AT. Tel: 0191 237 3697. Tickets: £14.00. ‘Pie & Pea Lunch’.
Tue 21: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £29.00., £26.00., £23.00.
Tue 21: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Jack Littlewood (drums).

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm.
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Wednesday, September 04, 2019

Jam Session @ the Black Swan - Sept. 3

(Review/photos by Lance).

Six singers in a session made this an evening to remember for those of us who like a well-crafted lyric and there have been few lyricists who crafted it better than Ira Gershwin with They All Laughed, although the version by Niffi O may have strayed from his original intentions! We weren't laughing, most of us were applauding wildly as we also did after she worked out on Nellie Lutcher's 1948 hit Fine Brown Frame.

Unintimidated by this wild beginning, Jen Errington who, Paul Grainger informed us has a cat called Duke (Duke Errington - get it?), offered contrast with When Sunny Gets Blue and You Go To My Head. A sensitive and tender performance that almost silenced the audience - almost!

Miriam McCormick followed with Good Morning Heartache and a jaunty I'm in the Mood for Love.

At last, an instrumentalist! Giles Strong didn't need words to get the message across on Days of Wine & Roses, Just Friends and, Blue Bossa.

A break was called - perhaps for bingo or maybe Simon Cowell was going to pass judgement? No, it was time to give Walker and Law a spell with Mo now on drums and a young first-timer, James, on piano. Sorry James but I didn't get your surname. With Giles and Paul still manning the fort, up stepped Jan.

How Insensitive and I Only Have Eyes for You. A few key explorations were called for before a mutually agreeable choice was made on the latter number - such are the hazards of jam sessions.

Enter JJ! It had been awhile since I'd heard the Lithuanian Lark and she was in scintillating form aided and abetted by Showtime Gray.
If You Don't Want to be Down With me was followed by a bizarre melange of Wave, Oye Como Va, Summertime, Autumn Leaves and maybe a few more! She also duetted with Alan Law on keyboard. Amazing!

Bob Caswell thought so and gave her the acknowledgement she deserved before treating us to The Shadow of Your Smile followed by Laura. Magnificent - look out Tony Bennett, Bob's only 8 years behind you and closing in.

Meanwhile, David Gray had been hovering - his trombone primed - and ready to storm the citadel. I Got Rhythm provided the ammunition and the trombone became a battering ram. This was so hot I'm sure the slide melted (see pic)! Misty was rather more mellow.

An unusual session that would have benefited from maybe a trumpet or a couple of saxes. As I headed for the Metro I noted a platoon  of suitcases emerging from the station. Part of the new intake - I wondered how many, if any, were aspiring jazz musicians? There's usually a few. Time will tell.
Lance.
PS: Needless to say, the house trio of Law, Grainger and Walker were excellent!

 Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums) + Giles Strong (guitar); Hazem Mohammed (drums); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone); James ? (piano); Niffi Osiyemi, Jen Errington, Miriam McCormick, Jan Spencelayh, Julija Jacenaite, Bob Caswell (vocals).
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