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

18246 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 100 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

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.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. 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

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

BENOIT VIELLEFON'S NEWS

We are all bored now...

Good morning everybody.
I am finally getting in touch after a very spectacular start of the year. I've been in bed with the flu for 3 weeks, then caught the Corona Virus. All the venues have closed and most of them have not paid for the gigs played in 2020. In the meantime I've paid all the musicians so I'm many thousands of £ down.

But I can't complain, as some people are dying, and suffering more than me.

For us musicians it looks really bleak. We don't expect to be able to perform live for the rest of 2020, and probably later in 2021. So I am now unemployed and have applied for Universal credits. I've always wanted to be signed to Universal, but I sign on Universal Credits instead.
I wonder now that we can't perform anymore if people would support us a little bit by listening to our music and spreading the word, sharing it.
There are a few things you can do, mostly free, since we are all bored now.


Full discography on bandcamp 35% OFF:

I finally got the time to upload 5 albums on Bandcamp, The Orchestra, The Hot Club, and the Trio. It is definitely the best music platform on the internet: THEY PAY MUSICIANS, would you believe it?


You can: Listen for free.
Buy digital downloads.
Buy the whole discography at 35% off.
Buy some CDs.
It may be just a couple of quid that you don't spend on commuting or dining out, but it really helps.
Please share that link with all your friends, a little push never hurts.

Get Google to pay their share:

That's right: everybody loves to hate the tech monopolies, but can do little about it. WRONG! You can do something:
Google owns YouTube, on which I have about 50 music videos that cost me an arm and a leg to produce over 10 years. They get advertising revenue from my content, and I don't. At the moment I can't get anything from them because a channel needs a minimum 4000 views per year (which I have) and a minimum of 1000 subscribers (which I don't have) to be eligible to get payments.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL - IT'S FREE !

Thanks to you I should be able to receive a share of the advertising that YouTube gets broadcasting my music. I'm sure it'll be a pittance, but it's always good to exercise one's rights.
I currently have 209 subscribers, and this email goes out to 7500 people, let’s see if we can make this happen... I'll be forever grateful.
Benoit Viellefon

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