Bebop Spoken There

Ethan Hawke (starring as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon): ''Larry [Lorenz] Hart would be so happy that his music and his words and his poetry are still alive.'' - The Northern Echo 27 November 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

18000 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 964 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 24).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sat 06: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 06: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Minor Swing. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 06: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 06: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76 (inc. bf).
Sat 06: Kaberry Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. (inc. hot buffet). ‘Christmas 1945’. Kaberry Big Band, formerly Vermont Big Band.
Sat 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, Bedlington. 7:30pm. £6.00. Rhythm & blues.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. Xmas Party with buffet.
Sat 06: The Jive Aces @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £22.00., £20.00.
Sat 06: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.

Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.

Fri 12: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 12: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £15.00. ‘Xmas Soiree’.
Fri 12: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax); Matthew Forster (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 12: Tony Hadley: Xmas Big Band Tour 2025 @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Fri 12: Alexia Gardner @ The New Ship Inn, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. 8:00pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy, Abbie Finn.
Fri 12: Jive Aces: Swingin’ Xmas Show @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm.

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

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

O Come All Ye Jazz Fans: ‘A Jazzy Christmas’ Comes to Middlesbrough This December

(Press release)

Sunday Jazz at Middlesbrough Town Hall is back. This time for a special Christmas-themed concert which will launch the venue’s eclectic winter live music programme.

Following sold out shows at Sage Gateshead in 2017 and 2018, nationally renowned jazz composer and performer, Paul Edis will bring his celebrated arrangements of festive favourites to Teesside on Sunday 15th December.

Audiences can expect to hear imaginative renditions of traditional Christmas carols including O Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night, as well as reinventions of classic festive pop and jazz tunes, such as Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree and Let it Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.

Performed by some of the leading lights of the UK jazz scene, including Jo Harrop, Matt Anderson, Emma Fisk and some very special guests, this event is a must-see for fans of Jazz and live music in general.

Commenting on the forthcoming show, Paul Edis said: “A Jazzy Christmas is a brilliant alternative take on the usual Christmas repertoire and an excellent antidote to the piped music heard in so many shops since October.

“It’s a family friendly show featuring new arrangements of some of my favourite Christmas tunes, performed by an 11-piece band including the ‘velvet voiced’ jazz singer Jo Harrop.

“It’s the perfect show for anyone who loves live music, especially those who love Christmas Songs!”

Sage Gateshead’s youth jazz ensemble, Jambone, directed by Edis himself, will kick start the festive Jazz proceedings. Widely regarded as one of the country’s most accomplished youth bands, Jambone has helped launch the careers of many of the region’s top professional musicians.

Paul Edis adds“Jambone are an outstanding group of young musicians. The musical mission of the band is to provide a range of repertoire and performance challenges for its members.

“They’ll perform a set before ‘A Jazzy Christmas’ which will give the Middlesbrough audience a chance to hear the stars of tomorrow.”

Paul Edis’ Jazzy Christmas is part of an ambitious monthly series of Jazz concerts programmed by the founder of Gateshead International Jazz Festival at Sage Gateshead, Ros Rigby (OBE).

Speaking on the forthcoming show, Ros Rigby said: “A Jazzy Christmas will really get Teesside audiences in the Christmas spirit with Paul Edis’ arrangements of well-known Christmas songs. The fantastic singer, Jo Harrop comes from the North East but is now based in London so this is a rare chance to see her back on her home turf.”

The next Sunday Jazz offering will take place in January, celebrating Burns Night with a special afternoon of performances from some of Scotland’s leading jazz composers and performers, including 2018’s Young Jazz Musician of The Year, Joe Williamson; Tom Bancroft’s ‘In Common’; Fergus McCreadie and Georgia Cécile, the 2019 winner of ‘Best Vocalist’ at the Scottish Jazz Awards.

Ros Rigby Added: “There are three more gigs to come in the Sunday Jazz series. January 19th will get us all in the mood for Burns Night with four amazing bands drawing on some of Scotland's finest jazz musicians.”

A Jazzy Christmas (Ft. Paul Edis and Jambone) takes place at Middlesbrough Town Hall’s Crypt on Sunday 15th December from 2pm to 6pm.

Tickets are available via middlesbroughtownhall.co.uk priced at just £12 (plus booking fee) or by calling the Box Office on 01642 729 729.

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