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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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

Sunday, February 09, 2020

Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool - Feb 9

(Review by Russell)
It was an auspicious occasion. The Park Inn's landlord is soon to retire and Musicians Unlimited pulled out all the stops to thank Mine Host Rick for giving the band a warm welcome every Sunday lunchtime for the past eight and a half years. Storm Ciara's threatened destruction of everything that stood in its path came to nought and had the hoolie materialised it wouldn't have made any difference - the joint was jumping, no one was going to miss this one!


In the Mood for starters. Hey, this was a great version, honest guv'nor! Mark Toomey, alto, and Sue Ferris on tenor traded before passing the baton to trumpeters Bill Watson and Kevin Eland to knock spots off one another. Soloists and band won huge applause and, to add to the party atmosphere, friend of BSH George from Hartlepool tripped the light fantastic from the get go.

Jerome Richardson's Groove Merchant featured excellent section work from the saxophones (Mark Toomey on soprano) and a classy solo from Bill Watson (trumpet). Doxy is always a blast and Kieran Parnaby didn't pass up the opportunity to have a blow on Sonny Rollins' classic number. Parnaby again on the set closer Basically Blues (Phil Wilson for the Buddy Rich band) shared the soloist's spotlight with Sue Ferris (tough tenor) and Jeremy McMurray sitting-in on piano.     

Intervals come and go but today's intermission proved to be a little bit special. Our man George had brought along a freshly baked corned beef and potato pie (baked by his talented daughter) especially for the occasion (see photo). George did the honours, your correspondent  sampled a slice - delicious! And there was more...MU's regular supporters arrived with mountains of sandwiches, saugage rolls, crisps, the works. All washed down with a pint of the house beer Marston's 61 Deep. 

Band vocalist Jan Spencelayh joined the orchestra on a couple of numbers - What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! and Cheek to Cheek - during the first set and would return later in the afternoon. 

To the second set. Lullaby of Birdland, Basie's Jive at Five (guitarist Edd Maughan soloing), C Jam Blues (arr. Dave Wolpe) is always a winner on a session like this not least as it was a request by long-time supporter Frank celebrating his 89th birthday this very day! And the other name synonymous with a big band firing on all cylinders is California's Gordon Goodwin. MD Mick Donnelly quipped that each member of the trumpet section prepared for Goodwin's High Maintenance by dipping their lips in ice! And to show that MU meant business Mick Shoulder switched to electric bass for the rollercoaster ride. 

Jan Spencelayh has been singing with Musicians Unlimited for awhile and it showed - assured, confident, listening to the band, singing to the room. Earlier in the set All the Things You Are sounded just fine and Spencelayh's final contribution of the afternoon - Fever - proved to be a highlight. To conclude Musicians Unlimited's first eight and a half years at the Park Inn Tito Puente's Oye Como Va featured a stupendous flute solo from Sue Ferris. What a way to go out! And they'll be back as soon as a planned refurbishment of the Park Road hostelry is finished. It could be four or five weeks - watch this space for updates.        
            
Musicians Unlimited: Mick Donnelly MD; Kevin Eland, Bill Watson, Bob Temple, Alan Catherall (trumpets); ?, Kieran Parnaby, Helen Grainger, Peter Morgan (trombones); Norman ?, Kim Skerritt, Mark Toomey, Sue Ferris, Barbara Fagan (reeds); Edd Maughan (guitar); Gary Hadley (keyboards); Mick Shoulder (double bass, electric bass); John Bradford (drums); Ernie Jackson (percussion); Jan Spencelayh (vocals) + Jeremy McMurray (keyboards); Dave Harrison (trumpet).
Russell   

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