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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

17921 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 242 of them this year alone and, so far, 89 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

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. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! 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.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 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

Friday, March 20, 2020

More thoughts

(By Nathan Allonby)

The Coronavirus has closed all venues, and could continue indefinitely. Not only that, most music pupils have cancelled their lessons, again, indefinitely - thus closing musicians' other alternative stream of income.


That's not all: -

  • venues could close, never to reopen
    • when the crisis ends, there may be far fewer venues left to employ musicians -
    • the combined potential income of all musicians is roughly in proportion to the number of venues
  • the public could "lose the habit" of going to live gigs
Something has to be done. We cannot expect anyone to do anything other than ourselves.



Let's discuss options. This is "brainstorming" - put options out, maybe they could lead to better ideas.

  • Start a YouTube channel, showcasing local musicians, advertised on Bebop Spoken Here
    • maybe have a subscription channel
    • a donation line
  • House parties - if the venues are closed, that doesn't mean everyone has to stay home
    • if it's private, it's not regulated
    • younger, healthy people do not face a lot of risk
    • a lot of people are going to need this, so they don't go "stir crazy"
  • when the lock-down ends, that "party scene" could launch regular gigs, even new venues
Let's look at the positives - at the end of this curfew, everybody is going to go mad, just to be free again. If musicians have their act together, ready to go, there could be a lot of gigs available.


Regarding music lessons, many other subjects (e.g. languages) are being taught by Skype. It's not ideal for teaching music, but it's better that than lose the relationship with pupils. Also, locked at home, the pupils may value their lessons more than ever - they might spend a lot of time practicing. (Have a friend in Italy, teaching English, near Milan - during the lock-down / curfew, she has moved to teaching via Skype. Not only has this kept her business going, but her pupils desperately appreciate it, starved of all other social contact.)
There's another great idea

  • the YouTube channel showcasing local talent could also include "master-class" sessions, giving a link / email to the teacher, to ask for Skype lessons

These are just initial suggestions - just to get the ball rolling. More heads the better!
Nathan

4 comments :

Lance said...

A lot of good and valid points Nathan although many people might disagree about the unregulated house party. Does that make it any less open to spreading the virus? Also, let's face it a jazz house party is more likely to attract an older crowd rather than the less vulnerable young folk.

Further opinions please.

Brian Bennett said...

‘Less vulnerable young folk’ is a complete fallacy, Lance.
Hospitals in Italy are seeing people in their 20s and 30s admitted to intensive care with severe cases of coronavirus.

David Gray said...

Yeah it would be very risky at this stage to have larger gatherings in such confined spaces. It could be a safer idea after a few weeks/a month have gone by, wherein we'd hopefully not be on the wrong end of an infection curve.

Given that we've already seen the keenest musicians stream their own performances and that Paul's been reviewed, it's a very encouraging sign that these efforts will be taken seriously. Curating this process and giving those who are able a digital platform is exactly what's needed right now. My own combo might even have its first gigs online!

Streaming with various donation/payment options wouldn't be too far removed from playing at venues with pay-as-you-feel admission or tip jars, so this would be a very useful and fun idea going forward. Having the added bonus of reaching a global crowd would be fantastic side-effect of this for local artists.

I look forward to seeing how these ideas and a digital landscape develop. Hopefully, many of us will be able to make use of the situation to scrape by in some way and I think the jazz scene in particular would be generous enough to help where they can.

Anonymous said...

SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT

We could still have live jazz Giggs,people go shopping for food, live Giggs could take place inside Eldon Square, there is plenty of space, northumberland streets another area where music takes place, you have also got the parks, there is a big one by st James park, you can't stop people walking in the street or in parks, so there is hope yet.
What about. Sunday In the Jazz park, just an idea, the summer is not far off, a nice cold beer, Jazz in some park, take your dog if you want, well you jazzers how about it!

Keep Well

Brian Shine

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