Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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

Monday, January 13, 2020

More Burns Night Jazz

(Preview by Lance)

It seems as though, officially, Burnsy's Night is on Saturday January 18. A night when, traditionally, tam o' shanters will be worn, haggis will be consumed and vast quantities of Scotch will be downed. Kilts will be de rigeur and, when things go awry, cabers will be thrown.

However, we jazzanachs celebrate it differently. We move it on a day to January 19 and, instead of the infernal bagpipes we have saxophones and other more civilised instruments.

Down at Middlebrough Town Hall, on Sunday afternoon some of Scotland's finest will storm the battlements of that august emporium and they will surely be given the freedom of the 'boro or at least a plate of haggis and chips.

Full details of this Jock jamboree can be found in an earlier post and all for £15 (booking fee and haggis not included).


For those who can't make the trip Teesside but still fancy some Jock jazz then, on the evening of the same day, the Jazz Coop are at hand with a post Burns' Night gig featuring JazzMain.

JazzMain (pictured), are not unknown in Newcastle having played several gigs at The Globe and elsewhere and each time seeing their audience grow in numbers.

This isn't surprising as Nick Gould must surely be now regarded as one of the top UK tenor players. A bold statement I know as there ain't no shortage of top rate tenor players in this small island but Nick is in their pitching and anyone who throws their cap in the ring at a jam knows that, win, lose or draw, they've been in a fight!

So the choice is 'Boro or Toon? well my worthy constituent Russell has worked out that he can do both with the help of - wait for it - Northern Rail. Fingers crossed!

What am I saying? I'm using the Tyne & Wear Metro whose track record puts Northern Rail on a par with the Orient Express!
Lance.

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