Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: 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 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

CD Review: Stu Collingwood, featuring Paul Booth - Beep Bap Bop.

Stuart Collingwood (keys/composer); Paul Booth (tenor sax/flute); John Trotter (drums/percussion); Mark Austin (guitar); Neil Harland (bass on 3 tracks) + Ryan Quigley (trumpet); Trevor Mires (trombone).
(Review by Lance)

Last Sunday afternoon I dropped by Charts on the Newcastle Quayside. I was too late to browse the stalls that sell everything from a hairpin to the High Level Bridge (maybe throw in the Swing Bridge for cash) but I was in time to catch the Jazz Social (reported in a previous post)

Pianist Stu Collingwood is  highly rated in northeast jazz/music circles so that when he mentioned he'd made a CD of his own compositions and the album included some very big hitters I knew I had to hear it.

Stu is an introspective kind of a guy. He knows what he can do without shouting it from the rooftops. Well, if I wasn't in dispute over an altercation between my cat and a neighbour's dog (Daphne won!) I'd have been playing this from my rooftops!

Put simply, it's a must for anyone who has enjoyed Stu's playing over the years and, to hear him with Paul Booth who, from his humble beginnings when I sold him his first saxophone, has gone on to become a world class player is something to cherish. List your favourite UK tenor players and Paul is jostling for first place with any of them and, had Stu moved further afield, he too "could have been a contender".

My only complaint, and it's not really a complaint, is that I'd have loved to know the stories behind the titles - I mean, who is Ronnie the Rhino? A bouncer, a local enforcer or a kid's toy?

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter - put it on the car stereo and you'll think you've upgraded your Mini to a Beemer!

And here's the bottom line - pick it up from Stu at a gig or online for £5.99!

No kidding - £5.99! 

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