Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

From This Moment On

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh @ The Corner House, Whitley Bay - December 22, 1975

The sad death of Lee Konitz this week brought back memories of that immortal session at the Whitley Bay Corner House where the award winning alto saxophonist appeared with Warne Marsh and the Peter Ind Trio - Peter Ind (bass); Dave Cliff (guitar) and Al Levitt (drums).

Dave Weisser had a weekly session there with his Friends of Jazz group which, presumably, opened the doors for one of the most prestigious modern jazz gigs to have ever taken place in Whitley Bay.

Peter Bevan sent me the above photos and, although he is unsure of the source. I can confirm that they were, in fact, taken by Jack Goodwin, compiler of the definitive Warne Marsh discography and, at the time, a keen jazz photographer and the most knowledgeable authority on Warne Marsh on the planet and, by association, Lee Konitz. 

These pics have refreshed my memories of that wonderful December evening in 1975. Was it snowing? Was the moon as high as Charlie Carmichael and I as we rolled home? Who knows? Who cares? We were drunk with the music...
Lance

5 comments :

Stu Collingwood (on F/b) said...

I remember seeing Lee Konitz with the Bill Evans Trio at Ayresome park long ago.

Lance said...

Yup I was there too. Unfortunately I didn't bring my binoculars!
With such introvert players as Konitz and Evans you needed to hear them in a small club or concert hall not in the middle of a football pitch!

Stu Collingwood (on F/b) said...

I could hardly hear with the sound of the crowd, bloody Boro fans 😂

Anonymous said...

Yes that Whitley Bay concert was quite something. Never to be forgotten. It says a lot that Lee and Warne chose Dave Cliff doesn't it. I sometimes went to see Dave Weisser and Friends of Jazz at the venue. Dave was great leading that band and in typical unselfish fashion gave opportunities to other players. I think often Eric Gamblin played guitar but occasionally son Paul played and I remember a young Mark Wood too. And was it Joy Askew who sang with the band? I think it might have been Dave Murphy on bass. Great sessions and happy times.
Roly

George Milburn (on F/b) said...

Mine is a Band on the Wall, Manchester late 70’s, duo memory. I was at the front - what a beautiful performance - but who was the piano player he was touring with?

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