Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18035 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 999 of them this year alone and, so far, 13 this month (Dec. 7).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sun 14: Musicians Unlimited + Darlington Big Band @ West Hartlepool RFC. 12 noon-6:00pm. £9.00. Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 14: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30pm. £15.18 (inc. bf).
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ The Black Candle, South Shields. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: Sean Noonan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 15: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 16: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Tue 16: A Jazzy Xmas @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon. £29.00 (inc. bf). ‘Festive Lunch’. VCJ on stage 2:00-4:00pm.
Wed 17: Lazy River Band @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Veronica Perrin, Chris Perrin, John Farragher, Phil Rutherford
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Wed 17: A Jazzy Xmas @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Kyran Matthews (tenor sax, soprano sax); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ YOLO, Ponteland. 7:00pm. ‘Swing & Jazz Night’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 18: Joe Steels & Friends @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

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

Saturday, April 18, 2020

James and Francis' New list idea: Ten favourite improvisers, not necessarily ones who are considered the greats...

1. Joe Henderson; 2. Freddie Hubbard; 3. Woody Shaw; 4. Trane; 5. Sonny Rollins; 6. Kenny Barron; 7. Tom Harrell; 8. Stan Getz; 9. Bird; 10. Booker Little
(James Metcalf)

----- 

1. Joe Henderson; 2. Freddie Hubbard; 3. Mike Moreno; 4. Trane; 5. Kenny Garrett; 6. McCoy Tyner; 7. Herbie Hancock; 8.Chick Corea; 9. Wayne Shorter; 10. Sonny Rollins
(Francis Tulip)
at

6 comments :

Lance said...

Great lists. And I think that all of the above would, today, be rated as greats. This opens another train (Trane?) of thought. Perhaps some of our older listeners, i.e. those younger than me, might care to offer their lists of favourites from earlier decades - come in Methuselah...

Saturday, April 18, 2020 10:47:00 pm
Steve Andrews said...

Hi Lance, Methuselah here! This is my list, written at twenty to one over the remains of a large vegetarian Grouse (a Famous Grouse) - by tomorrow it will probably have changed! In no particular order: Louis Armstrong (no.1, absolutely!!!), Bix Beiderbecke, Henry "Red" Allen, Coleman Hawkins, Lester "Red" or "Pres" Young, Benny Carter, Artie Shaw, Teddy Wilson, George van Eps, Stuff Smith.

Sunday, April 19, 2020 12:43:00 am
Russell said...

Favourite rather than greatest - there is an endless list! Ten, off the top of my head, no particular order...Lewis Watson (in full flight, no one better!), Roland Kirk (ditto), Louis Armstrong, Taylor Ho Bynum (check him out, James!), Paul Rutherford, John Zorn, Graeme Wilson, Paul Edis, Joe Morris (check him out, Francis!), James Birkett (a master improviser on a melody).

Sunday, April 19, 2020 8:46:00 am
Steve T said...

Ten great improvisers: Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, John McLaughlin.

Ten favourite jazz artists, not on previous lists: Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Clifford Brown, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Joe Zawinul, Eddie Henderson, Stanley Clarke, Zakir Hussain, David Murray.

Sunday, April 19, 2020 6:28:00 pm
Lance said...

Ten favourite tenor players - not necessarily the greatest but the ones that float my boat the most with apologies to Wayne, Trane, Sonny, Joe and Hawk.

In alphabetical order: Ben Webster; Brew Moore; Dexter Gordon; Guy Lafitte; Hank Mobley; Lester Young; Stan Getz; Tubby Hayes; Wardell Gray; Zoot Sims.

Living tenor players still active: Benny Golson; Courtney Pine, Dave O'Higgins; Eric Alexander; Karen Sharp: Leo Richardson; Paul Booth; Simon Spillett; Troy Roberts; Vasilis Xenopoulos.

Monday, April 20, 2020 1:07:00 pm
Steve T said...

Ten names I'm surprised didn't make either of the 'lists' posts:
Roy Eldridge, Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Ornette Coleman, Dave Holland, Keith Jarrett, Jaco Pastorius, Kurt Rosenwinkel.
Not to mention all those drummers.

Saturday, April 25, 2020 4:27:00 pm

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