Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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

Thursday, October 10, 2019

CD Review: Roger Kellaway - The Many Open Minds of Roger Kellaway

Roger Kellaway (piano); Bruce Forman (guitar); Dan Lutz (bass).
(Review by Lance).

So far this week I've received 24 CDs for review. This is on top of maybe another 30 looking hopefully up at me like hungry kittens waiting to be fed. How does one make a choice from such a plethora of (maybe) riches? It is difficult. However, if included in the mix is an album by Roger Kellaway then all bets are off!


Recorded live at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles - a venue Roger seems to like - watch this space* - the 80 year old pianist delivers the goods like few pianists in the history of jazz have ever done. OK, maybe an exaggeration but only a slight one.

The opening track, Monk's 52nd Street Theme, is taken at such a lick that, had this been an LP I'd have been checking the turntable to make sure I didn't have it on 45 instead of 33! Yes it's fast but no mere Czerny exercise applied to jazz this is the real deal.

Have You Met Miss Jones? An out of tempo formal introduction soon mellows into a medium swing. Miss Jones has had many suitors since Rodgers and Hart introduced her to Broadway in 1937 and, not surprisingly, many men have no doubt exchanged blows over her. Kellaway and Forman battle it out musically just as Les Paul and Nat Cole did at a legendary JATP concert back in '44 albeit not over Jonesy.

Doxy. If I had to choose but one track from the seven this would be it although it would be a close call. What edges it for me are the block chord passages - big fat ones!

Take Five may seem an odd choice sans saxophone but it swings.

Take the A Train is slow. Glenn Miller used to play it at this tempo - Kellaway does it better.

Night and Day - this is the one - who needs the beat beat beat of the tom tom? These three guys don't need drums to make you tap your feet. The rhythm is there reaching out.

Finally Caravan ignores the speed limit - and the crowd love it - and so do I!

Kellaway is superb as are his confreres Forman and Lutz, together the three bring to mind the Nat Cole Trio and the early Oscar Peterson threesomes. Tremendous!

Release date is Nov. 1 on IPO Recordings label.
Lance.
* Next CD review, Kellaway as accompanist to Anne Phillips - Live @ the Jazz Bakery
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