Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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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