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. SOLD OUT!

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.

Saturday, May 09, 2020

RIP Little Richard

Back in 1956 - 1958 I was doing National Service (ask your grandparents) in the RAF, mainly near Louth in Lincolnshire.

Apart from on record, jazz wasn't very accessible in that neck of the woods and, on a night out in town or down the local pub you were lucky if they even had a Sinatra record on the jukebox. What they did have, however, was a lot of rock and roll with Bill Haley, Elvis, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard so, when the death  of the latter was announced earlier today (May 9) I couldn't help but feel as though a part of my life had gone with him.

Not from a musical point of view, although the excitement generated by a number like Tutti Frutti or Long Tall Sally possibly had a more positive effect on me at the time than say the MJQ would have done - particularly in a bar full of semi-drunk airmen .

In the film, The Girl Can't Help It, Little Richard sang the title song but it was hearing, for the first time, Julie London singing Cry me a River that left a lasting impression on me.

Nevertheless, Little Richard did go on to influence a lot of the pop idols who followed and his stature in the annals of pop/rock history is unchallenged.

He was 87, may he Rest In Peace.
Lance.

4 comments :

Steve T said...

As with Chuck Berry, I couldn't believe he was still alive. I'm sure they were grateful for the years, but the problem they face is that virtually nobody cares. Insomuch as most people ever listen to anything from before the Hallowed Sixties, it's nowadays more likely to be Kind of Blue or Songs for Swingin' Lovers.
Excepting doowop, I think black rock and roll was just blues for teenyboppers (like punk-rock was Black Sabbath for teenyboppers) - at least Elvis could sing and command good songs and I despise the rest of whitey's efforts.
Little Richard was even more 'novelty' than the rest but he recorded for Okeh in the sixties, from which 'I Don't Want to Discuss It' became a northern soul classic, which still stands up quite well. I note my brother's put another up so I must check it out too.

John Tulip said...

Yes it was referenced in your top 500 Northern Soul Singles book which I am still wading through although I can remember hearing it before

Tom Henderson (on F/b) said...

Saw his show in Newcastle,1950's Great!!

Steve T said...

I suspect he was pretty rip-roaring live.

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