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

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.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre - Dec 14

(Review by Russell)

I refer the Rt.Hon. Reader to my previous review (Dec 13)! Friday evening's first night performance couldn't have gone better and this second sold out night more than lived up to the highest of standards set twenty four hours earlier. The Strictly Smokin' Big Band is on a roll with sell out shows here, there and everywhere. Michael Lamb's supercharged outfit is the band of the moment.

Winter Games (Winter Olympics 1988) once again opened the programme and for the next couple of hours or so this Saturday evening show entertained big style. 

Alice Grace emerged from the wings to reprise The Late, Late Show then departed, albeit briefly, leaving the stage to Keith Robinson. Alto saxophonist Robinson is an admirer of ex-Jazz Messenger Bobby Watson's compositions and here at Gosforth Civic Theatre chose to play Watson's Free Yourself. The audience reaction spoke volumes as Robinson (and Watson!) received tumultuous applause. Those wanting to hear more of Robinson should check out Alter Ego the next time the band hits the road. 

Time once more for Ms Grace. Bassist Michael Whent,  assisted by ace big band drummer Guy Swinton, brought in Avalon. Excellent. 

More excellence as Jamie Toms' hypnotic bass clarinet line underpinned our vocalist's impeccable phrasing on a spine-tingling Willow Weep for Me (arr Chris Walden). The next time AG records an album this number should be on it, it's that good!  

Tom Kubis' arrangement of Joy to the World (solos from Pawel Jedrzejewski, guitar, Graham Don, piano) closed a superlative first set.

The second set proved to be one of highlight upon highlight. Coventry Carol (arr Jamey Simmons) impressed again, just as it did the previous evening - some seriously good ensemble jazz on this one. Alice Grace returned to the stage to sing Mel Tormé's classic Christmas Song and then...and then...Adam Dutton joined AG for a showstopping Baby, It's Cold Outside. Dutton's theatrical tenor voice brought out the best in his co-star, Ms Grace. Fabulous entertainment, pure and simple! Dutton hung around for a solo vocal feature - Caroling, Caroling (arr Callum Au) which prompted the thought: In 2020, is Dutton going to be heard on the local jazz scene? 

Duke Ellington's Jingle Bells as an instrumental - excellent, after all this was Ellington! - then for the grand finale. Alice and Adam played their parts to perfection on Fairytale of New York (arr Michael Lamb), knockabout stuff, for sure, pitched just right for the occasion. 

And finally, vocalist Alice Grace conducting orchestra and audience in a wonderful take on Last Christmas. Tickets for the Strictly Smokin' Big Band's 2020 Christmas shows are on sale now and they're already flying out the door. Book now at www:strictly-smokin.co.uk
Russell   

Alice Grace (vocals); Steve Summers, Keith Robinson, Jamie Toms, Dave Kerridge, Laurie Rangecroft (reeds); Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey, Michael Lamb MD, Pete Tanton (trumpets); Kieran Parnaby, Mark Ferris, Chris Kurgi-Smith, John Flood (trombones); Graham Don (piano); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums) + Adam Dutton (vocals).
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