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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

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.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

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

Monday, June 29, 2020

Jazz Quartet set to take to The Globe stage on July 12

(Press release)

(Photos from top to bottom are © Malcolm Sinclair, Ken Drew & Vanessa Stewart respectively).

The Zoë Gilby Quartet returns to the stage, socially distanced of course, for the first time in months on July 12 when they perform to the empty bowels of Newcastle’s community-owned music venue, The Globe.

Led by the award-winning musician, Tyneside’s Zoë Gilby, will be joined on stage by her multi-instrumentalist husband, Andy Champion, guitarist Mark Williams, and drummer Russ Morgan it’ll also be the first time in four months the venue has opened its doors.

Strange times have befallen everyone across the globe and, for Zoë and Andy, it’s been more a case of home gigs via Patreon to keep the music alive, although of late they have ‘attended’ a couple of festivals, performing for the Langtoun Jazz Festival at home (a fundraiser for the Kirkcaldy Foodbank), and the Oxford Festival of the Arts.

Being able to take to the stage, and locally, is something that, understandably, excites the quartet, even if Mark Williams and Russ Morgan have to be just that little bit further apart than usual.

“It feels like it has been a lifetime since we have been able to perform live together as a quartet,” began Zoë, who, alongside husband Andy have kept in regular contact with their fellow musicians throughout the pandemic.
“We are all so excited to be able to interact and play our music together again on Sunday 12 July.
“We are so thankful and extremely lucky to have the support and to be invited by the Jazz Coop to perform at this socially distanced live stream at The Globe.
“It feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“We are chomping at the bit and can’t wait to reconnect with our virtual audience.”

Hosted by Jazz.Coop Newcastle, a community cooperative which aims to support the learning, performance and development of jazz related music and the arts, they are based at The Globe, Newcastle.
Dave Parker, the Co-Chair of Jazz.Coop alongside Debra Milne, added: “This will be the first time a band has played at The Globe for four months, and it will be the first time we have live-streamed from the venue.

“We couldn't have a better band to launch this new season; the Zoë Gilby Quartet features four of the finest jazz musicians in the North East - no, in the UK - and I can't wait to hear them.”
In addition to the performance of the Zoë Gilby Quartet, The Globe will be looking at, and hosting a number of events at the venue over the coming months. Something which will be of benefit to themselves, and to the artists across the region.
"Over the coming weeks we will be streaming a range of live music from The Globe,” added Dave.
“At first the venue will not be open to the public although we are planning to allow audiences into The Globe when we can accommodate them safely, and within government guidelines.”

Those ‘attending’ the performance on Sunday 12 July are being invited to make a ‘small entrance fee’ payment (recommendation of £5 per person, although more, if spectators can afford it, is welcomed).

IN ORDER TO VIEW THE LIVESTREAM GIG PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:
1) Make a donation via https://bit.ly/2YWVZAV and donate what you can afford, £5 per person is the suggested minimum. Please do so as early as possible, as a rush of requests just before the gig may result in some people missing the start.

2) Once a notification of donation is received the venue will then send an email with instructions on how to view the livestream. Please note that this is not an automated process and venue volunteers may not respond immediately. Also remember that messages will go direct to the email account associated with the payment, this may not use be the one you usually use.

3) It is recommended that you access and save the link as soon as instructions are received and, on Sunday 12 July, the 'doors open' at 7.45pm to give you time to check your set up, get comfortable and chat with other members of the audience.

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