Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18721 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 585 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 18) 49

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

July

Sun 19: Brass Boat Cruise @ Boathouse, Elvet Bridge Jetty, Durham City. Departures at 10:30am, 12 noon, 1:30pm, 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £5.00 (all prices + bf). Durham Brass Festival. Various bands.
Sun 19: Jacob Egglestone Trio @ The Bandstand, The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free.
Sun 19: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bishop Auckland Town hall. 2:00pm. £7.00 (inc. bf). A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 19: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 19: Michael Young Trio @ Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 19: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 19: SwanNek @ The Bandstand, The Sele, Hexham. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Twelve 06, High St., Newbiggin-by-the-Sea NE64 6DR. 3:00pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sun 19: Dale Storr: The Sounds of New Orleans @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Solo piano. POSTPONED!

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 21: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 23: Side Café Orkestar @ New castle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Balkan, Hot Club, Klezmer.
Thu 23: 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 24: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 25: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. Cheek to Cheek - Ella Fitgerald. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café (within Next), MetroCentre, Gateshead. 2:00-3:00pm. Free.

Sunday, May 03, 2020

Malcolm Saul, Billy Botto's and Sonny Stitt

Another piece of nostalgia, with this poster from Hilary Say. 

Billy Botto's Club in Byker was one Newcastle's foremost nightspots in the sixties' world of northeast entertainment with music by the Malcolm Saul Trio (Malcom on piano, Derek Dixon on bass and Scotty Adair on drums). 

Away from the club, the band were first call accompanists when JNE booked visiting American artists.
However, I first heard Malcolm at Gateshead Town Hall under unusual circumstances. The Bill le Sage Trio had been booked to back Sonny Stitt but their car broke down in York and  they weren't going to make the gig. 

The hall was packed. Dave Bell suggested the audience adjourn to a nearby pub, which we did.

When we returned Malcolm and his trio were on stage with Sonny Stitt and you'd have thought they'd been playing together as a quartet for years - another memorable moment!

 Thank you Hilary for prompting me to remember this and also for confiding that Billy Botto's was where you met your first husband Mike [Gilby] in 1966.
Lance
PS: It was also the first time I heard The Shadow of Your Smile which will help to date it.
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5 comments :

Patti said...

What a fabulous tale, Lance! I bet the joint was jumping - and the chickens would've been shaking in their baskets. Or maybe it wasn't that posh? But with Sonny Stitt up there - what a night!

Sunday, May 03, 2020 8:09:00 pm
Lance said...

The chickens weren't shaking in their baskets because the concert was held at Gateshead Town Hall and the Saul Trio were commandeered to leave their residency for the greater cause - extra money! As it was a night club they no doubt returned and played till a little later!

Sunday, May 03, 2020 8:22:00 pm
Johnny W. said...

I was one half of singing duo Shirley and Johnny in the 1960's and 1970's. We played at Billy Bottos in Byker. I remember the brilliant band who backed us! One of the best we ever worked with.They also had another club somewhere else (can't remember where it was). We played there also.
Johnny Wheeler

Tuesday, December 01, 2020 1:36:00 pm
Mike Sears said...

In 1967 I was with the Don Smith band at the Oxford Galleries, Bottos was a favourite haunt for us after working. Bunny girls too as I remember.

Friday, February 12, 2021 9:33:00 pm
Anonymous said...

My sister was a bunny girl at Billy Bottos, and I was a croupier for the Bailey Bros. ..Cavendish , La Dolce Vita, and sometimes The Latino in South Shields, boy we had great times then, after work down to the Quay Club till the wee hours and then to have breakfast at Bowers restaurant,All the night staff and some of the artists too would all be there. Wonderful memories especially now I’m nearly 80 and 3000 miles away from home in Canada.

Monday, August 23, 2021 8:16:00 am

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