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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17921 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 242 of them this year alone and, so far, 89 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Preview: Newcastle Jazz Festival 2020 (Aug 13-16)

This year's Newcastle Jazz Festival is scheduled to take place over four days in August (13-16). It could be Britain will still be in lockdown but positive thinking never did anyone any harm so here's hoping the second annual event goes ahead! Festival organisers have released details of musicians and venues and it has all the makings of a memorable few days. 


The Strictly Smokin' Big Band's regular rehearsal night at the Bridge Hotel acts as the festival curtainraiser. As usual the night (Thursday 13, 7:00pm) will be free admission although for this one a ticket is required. As a stand alone gig this promises to be an unmissable occasion. On the Friday night (August 14) head to Newcastle Civic Centre for a rare Tyneside appearance by Jay Phelps. The British resident Canadian trumpeter first hit the headlines as a member of Empirical. The first floor Pandon Room just off Ceremonial Way plays host to Phelps' quartet. Tickets £10 & £8. 

Saturday (August 15) sees the return of the all day event at the Tyne Bank Brewery. Last year proved to be an unqualified success as a full house (see photo) enjoyed a day of top class jazz with Tyne Bank beers flowing and street food vendors doing a roaring trade in burgers, pizzas, wraps and more. This year the line-up (with one band still to be confirmed) looks like this: Dennis Rollins Velocity TrioAlice Grace & Pawel JedrzejewskiJasmine (a Leeds-based band led by alto saxophonist Jasmine Whalley), Mick Shoulder's Swing Manouche and the Sue Ferris Quartet. Tickets £15 - book now!

Sunday (August 16) won't cost you a bean (now there's a bargain!). The action includes the trumpet-guitar pairing of Pete 'Strictly Smokin'' Tanton and Lloyd Wright (venue TBC) and at the Tyneside Cinema a screening (free of charge, ticket required) of Abi Lewis' award-winning documentary film Geordie Jazz Man (6:00pm) about Keith Crombie, the man who ran the Jazz Cafe on Pink Lane for twenty years and more. The weekend draws to a close with Emma Fisk and James Birkett entertaining cinema-goers. 

It's anyone's guess how the world will look like four months from now but one thing you can do right now is book your tickets to show support for a mid-summer jazz party which is definitely something to look forward to! 
Russell
Tickets: 

3 comments :

Michael Lamb said...

Thank you Russell! Our fingers are firmly crossed...

Anyone purchasing tickets can do so in the knowledge that if Covid wreaks havoc, everything is fully refundable!

Patti said...

Yeah! Let’s try and stay optimistic ...... keep on keeping up!

Steve T said...

While I'm quite happy sitting at home surrounded by piles of books, CDs and DVDs; like the next wo/man, I like a few beers down the local with Fen; preferably with some live music. If restrictions are lifted sooner,do we have a venue and a couple of bands ready to go?
Perhaps the way forward is to book larger venues but sell fewer tickets, not generally a problem with jazz. Mrs T thought this may cause problems in terms of providing adequate cleaning.
Big Bands should maybe be a little more concerned but, on the positive side, remember what happened the last time the Big Bands went down.
In the meantime, I'll be purchasing tickets for this come payday and remain - as they say - cautiously optimistic.

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