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

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.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Sunday Jazz @ Middlesbrough Town Hall w. Binker Golding Band, Noya Rao, & Francis Tulip Quartet.

Binker Golding Band: Golding (tenor sax); Sarah Tandy (piano); Conor Chaplin (bass); Jamie Murray (drums).
(Review by Lance)

This was a cracker! From the opening number everyone went for it. Train-lagged they may have been but it didn’t show. Sarah Tandy set the bench mark at what seemed an impossible high but nothing is impossible and it was passed several times, not least by herself. Tenor and drums also posted the unreachable (bassist Chaplin set down his mark later). This was just the first tune and already I was on the edge of my seat eagerly anticipating the next one.

Think Blue Note, Dexter, Johnny Griffin blowing in today’s world and you’re getting close. Think of your favourite pianists then reshuffle the list making sure the name Tandy is amongst them.

Down in The Crypt – aptly named – I was glad of the foresight to don an extra layer but, such was the heat being generated by the players, Binker removed a layer and Chaplin rolled up his sleeves. The warmth reached out to me and I no longer felt cold.

No announcements were made until the end when Binker Trane – sorry, Golding - announced that all the numbers were from his latest album which has the unlikely title of Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers
11 out of 10!
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Francis Tulip Quartet: Tulip (guitar); Ben Lawrence (piano); Michael Dunlop (bass guitar); Kai Chareunsy (drums)The afternoon opened up with a set by guitarist Tulip’s quartet who treated the not inconsiderable audience to pieces by Wayne Shorter (The Big Push & Infant Eyes); Herbie Hancock (I Have a Dream); Elvin Jones (Giraffe) and his own Matters of Fact. It is to his credit that, despite the illustrious names who had composed the preceding numbers, it was Tulip’s own piece that showed off the band to greatest effect. That’s true – it’s a matter of fact.
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Noya Rao: Olivia Bhattacharjee (voice/electronics); Tom Henry (keys/producer); Jim Wiltshire (bass guitar); Matt Davies (drums).

Slotted between the other two bands on the bill I have to hold up my hand and say this wasn’t really my scene and it would be unfair of me to pass judgement. Having said that, Olivia Bhattacharjee has a beautifully textured voice and a range that hinted at having operatic dimensions. All four are fine musicians and Russell was certainly impressed so perhaps he should be writing about this section of the afternoon. Electronic-soul is how the programme notes defined it so maybe Steve T should be doing the honours.

However, they sold CDs and the applause resounded so maybe I was the only one marching in step!

One thing is sure, the afternoon/early evening format of providing a platform for young bands from near and far is a good one and deserving of support (as of course are all gigs featuring live music). Next month’s offering is Paul Edis’ Jazzy Christmas with vocals by Jo Harrop and support from  the stars of the future – Jambone. This is on Sunday December 15 from 2:00pm - 6:00pm.
Lance.

2 comments :

Ros Rigby said...

Glad you enjoyed it Lance!

Lance said...

And well done you (Ros) for putting this all together!

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