Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18191 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 45 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 14), 45

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: 2025 obituaries.
Thu 22: Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Thu 22: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta. @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors). £6.50 (inc. bf).

Fri 23: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 24: An Evening with Will Todd @ Durham Cathedral. 7:30pm. Feat. Voices of Hope, Strictly Smokin’ Big Band (members of) & Alice Grace. Performance inc. Todd’s Jazz Missa Brevis. £25.50., £13.50., £19.50., £10.50.

Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Alexia Gardner Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Mon 26: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 27: Pete Roth Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm. Feat. Bill Bruford.

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, April 24, 2020

10 Women in Jazz Who Never Got Their Due

Sheila Herrick kindly sent me this link to an interesting article in the New York Times.

The ten women are: Lovie Austin; Lil Hardin Armstrong; Valaida Snow; Peggy Gilbert; Una Mae Carlisle; Ginger Smock; Dorothy Donegan; Jutta Hipp; Clora Bryant; Bertha Hope Booker.

The article gives a potted biography and a recorded example of each of the subjects.

Here's another five that could have been added: Mary Osborne (guitar - Coleman Hawkins); Margie Hyams (vibes - Woody Herman, George Shearing); Dardanelle Breckenbridge (piano - Lionel Hampton); Billie Rogers (trumpet - Woody Herman); Melba Liston (trombone - Quincy Jones).
Lance

5 comments :

Patti said...

Absolutely - and let's hear it too for Cab Calloway's sister, Blanche - she was a professional jazz singer before her little brother - and the first woman to lead an all male band - her Joy Boys. All jazz fans should check her out!

Anonymous said...

Just following reading this I noticed a very recent upload of this on YouTube from Whitley Bay Jazz Party 2012. A lovely cameo of Mike Durham introducing a session of Lovie Austin's music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv-XjunGoyM



Steve T said...

Before I started reviewing for BSH I saw (the late great) Gerri Allen,Esperanza Spalding and Terri Lynne Carrington at the Barbican. The piano and drum kit were there on the stage so I don't know why this tiny creature needed to carry this enormous bass on to the stage.
About 45 minutes in, Esperanza started singing and the place erupted. Afterwards I found myself in the shop curating the rapidly depleting stocks of their albums, advising which ones feature Esperanza and which ones she sings a lot on and which ones were the best.
Definitely an I was there moment.

Lance said...

Certainly an 'I was there' moment Steve but the 3 women you mention haven't gone short of recognition.

Steve T said...

I agree Lance up to a point. None of us - including me - included any of them in our recent lists, though I confess I considered them. We all still have some way to go.

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