Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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 27, 2020

Paul Edis: Lockdown Live! - March 27

Paul Edis (piano, vocals)
(By Russell)

The second in an ongoing series of who-knows-how-many Friday lunchtime live stream concerts from Paul Edis' London home proved to be another success - musically of course, but also technically with Edis' (non-existent) backroom team ensuring things ran smoothly during the one hour performance.

Today's concert featured a world premiere, several standards and a few requests from 'back home'...Hi Chris, Jerry, George! Picture quality good, sound equally so, Edis began with Rome Wasn't Built in a Day (including a vocal). The studio director (aka P. Edis) had carefully positioned a tripod to ensure pianist and keyboard were in shot throughout. John Taylor's Consolation (for Chris K), the first of two Monk numbers ('Round Midnight), Edis' Nostaloptimist (for Jerry E), it was almost like being at Newcastle's Lit & Phil or the Gala Theatre, Durham!


Happy Song - a world premiere! - came about when Kate Edis suggested Paul should write a 'happy' tune. It couldn't have been easy, after all when does a jazz audience want to listen to 'happy' material?! An Edis arrangement of Percy Grainger's Country Gardens (last week it was Greensleeves) showcased our pianist's thorough classical grounding, Monk's Ruby, My Dear (for George M) returned to the modern jazz canon and a request by relatives in a locked-down Vietnam took the form of Dr Billy Taylor's classic I Wish I Knew How it Was to be Free. The latter number sparked conversation in one Newcastle household about the number being a jam special staple - David 'Showtime' Gray has been known to do a 'Gary Valente' on it! 

Following Johnny Mandel's Emily Edis commented that some twenty six people (probably many more as families opt to stay home) were watching. The sixty minutes would soon be up so Edis wasted no time launching into Night in Tunisia - tremendous. Dizzy up there in the Jazz Club in the Sky was diggin' it. 

Two more, first Bill Evans' Peace Piece with its/Edis' elegant, Satie-like left hand and dreaming right hand, then, to close, another Edis composition (with vocals), When I Was Young. It had been an hour or so of top class jazz piano. More next week (Friday 3 April, 1:00pm). For details see Paul Edis' Facebook page. 
Russell
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