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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

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

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Tenement Jazz Band @ Theatre Hullabaloo, Darlington - Nov 22

John Youngs (banjo, guitar, vocals); Charles Dearness (trumpet); Paddy Darley (trombone); Tom Pickles (alto sax, soprano sax); Doug Kemp (string bass)
(Review by Russell)

Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club continues to go from strength to strength. For twelve months and more Saturday lunchtime concerts at St Augustine's Parish Centre have attracted ever increasing audiences and this welcome trend encouraged organisers to take a chance on promoting an evening event at Hullabaloo on Borough Road. Theatre Hullabaloo is Darlington Hippodrome's studio theatre space and on Friday evening a near capacity audience turned up to hear the Tenement Jazz Band. 

The five piece Tenement Jazz Band has had a meteoric rise since its formation less than two years ago. It is often the case that musicians playing New Orleans' jazz are of a similar vintage to their ageing audience but on this occasion the Edinburgh based band was of a younger generation. Countless gigs (including a series of standing-room-only gigs at this year's Edinburgh Fringe), a sold out first CD (the band ordered several hundred additional copies in an attempt to meet demand) and invaluable coverage in the jazz media (at home and in America) has enabled the Tenements to build a word-of-mouth fan base. 

Bogalusa Strut from the band's New Orleans Wiggle album opened the Hullabaloo show. Thanks to their instrumental virtuosity five young men with a commitment to, and passion for, the music of 1920s' New Orleans wowed the audience. From the first number of the night to the last some two hours later, Hullabaloo's audience found itself in the Big Easy (New Orleans) on the Mississippi. 

The Tenements' John Youngs made the introductions with an endearing line in self-deprecating humour. The man originally from Norwich now living north of the border sat with his band mates on a homely carpet which travels with the band from gig to gig. Legendary characters featured during the evening. Trumpeter Chuck Dearness rose to the challenge of emulating the likes of Joe 'King' Oliver and Louis Armstrong and trombonist Paddy Darley took on the role of Kid Ory and others. 

Dusty Rag, That's A Plenty (hot jazz!), Milenberg Joys (Youngs made the case for the tune's Scottish origin!), Chocolate Avenue (composed by the man who claimed to be from Saturn, Sun Ra!), White Ghost Shivers (the New Orleans Owls) and New Orleans Wiggle entertained an appreciative crowd which, at the end of the night, formed an orderly queue to snap up the few remaining copies of the band's rightly popular debut recording.      
Russell

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