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

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).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

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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