Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18122 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1086 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Dec. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 07: FILM: Blue Moon @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Dir. Richard Linklater’s biopic of Lorenz Hart.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 08: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones of 1976.

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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, July 16, 2020

The Virtual, But Remarkably Real, Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival

(Press release)

Every July since 1985, music lovers from all over the UK, as well as from further afield, have come to Birmingham for 10 straight days of jazz, blues and a whole lot of fun at The Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival.

With this year’s actual festival postponed until October 16th to 25th it just seemed wrong not to celebrate hot jazz in July, just as we have done for an unbroken 35 year run.

So look out for the neatly-titled Virtual, But Remarkably Real, Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival, which is set to take place over the 10 days originally scheduled for the festival – July 17th to 26th.

Everyone is invited to join us online from 8am onwards daily for a different programme every day, featuring regular features, a bunch of random thoughts, memories and anecdotes – some of them actually true.

Highlights include:

  • Wish We Were There: greetings and exclusive performance clips from festival favourites including The Schwings [Lithuania], The Jim Dandies [Italy], Les Zauto Stompers de Paris [France], The Potato Head Jazz Band [Spain], Saxitude [Luxembourg], New Orleans Jump Band [Spain] and more
  • Once Upon A Time In Jazzland: featuring Charles Brown, Madeleine Peyroux on Billie Holiday, King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, The Mighty Flea and more
  • Don't Worry 'Bout The Bear: extracts from the critically acclaimed history of Birmingham's Big Bear Records, organisers of the festival
  • Waxing Lyrical: classic albums recorded in Birmingham featuring festival artists.
  • Painting The Town: the art of Dave Newbould
  • The Daily Sketch: artistic highlights from the annual Jazz Festival Sketch Crawl
  • The Nearly Moving Picture Show: a series of classic photofilms
  • The Digby Fairweather Live Jazz Quiz

There will also be many other interesting snippets from the festival’s 35 year history, including the likes of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie Orchestra, Buddy Rich Orchestra, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, The Blues Brothers Band, BB King, Albert King, Freddy King and The Buddy Guy/Junior Wells Band and a whole lot more to Birmingham.

Each day’s content will be published on: 
www.birminghamjazzfestival.com/virtualfestival at 8am each morning during the virtual jazz festival, and available to view thereafter as a reminder of just some of the exceptional musicians, memorable personalities and wacky moments to have graced Europe’s largest free jazz party.

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