Bebop Spoken There

Ethan Hawke (starring as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon): ''Larry [Lorenz] Hart would be so happy that his music and his words and his poetry are still alive.'' - The Northern Echo 27 November 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

18000 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 964 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 24).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.

Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.

Fri 12: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 12: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £15.00. ‘Xmas Soiree’.
Fri 12: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax); Matthew Forster (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 12: Tony Hadley: Xmas Big Band Tour 2025 @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Fri 12: Alexia Gardner @ The New Ship Inn, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. 8:00pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy, Abbie Finn.
Fri 12: Jive Aces: Swingin’ Xmas Show @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm.

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, August 10, 2020

JAZZ RE:FRESHED Refreshes JAZZ RE:FEST

(Press release)

10th AUGUST 2020 LONDON, ENGLAND Renowned music and arts organisation JAZZ RE:FRESHED will bring its annual festival JAZZ RE:FEST online this year, as part of a digital strategy to keep UK jazz thriving while venues are closed, and continuing to support musicians whose performance opportunities have dwindled as a result of the global pandemic.
Brought to you in association with MQA and Bluesound, JAZZ RE:FEST 2020 will be taking place between 5-9pm BST on Sunday 23rd August. The virtual showcase, held at The Mill studios behind closed doors, will be streamed on the Jazz re:freshed YouTube channel. The performances will also be broadcast, at the same time, in MQA studio-quality audio via Bluesound’s BluOS Controller app directly into the homes of Bluesound’s hi-res speaker owners. Owners of other BluOS Enabled devices from NAD Electronics, DALI Loudspeakers, and Monitor Audio, will also be able to enjoy the exclusive MQA audio stream through the BluOS Controller app. 

The amazing four-hour show will feature performances from breakthrough and established acts including Binker Golding, Sahra Gure, Steam Down, Ms Maurice, Golden Mean, Jas Kayser and Anthony Joseph, bringing the festival’s signature atmosphere and excitement directly into viewers’ and listeners’ homes. JAZZ RE:FEST is an annual one-day festival produced by JAZZ RE:FRESHED, celebrating jazz and jazz-inspired music and culture. Usually hosted at Brighton Dome, the festival was recently cancelled due to COVID-19 related venue closures and will now take place behind closed doors at The Mill studios in London. As a not-for-profit organisation, Jazz re:freshed will be encouraging donations on its YouTube channel from festival viewers.
Adam Moses, co-founder of Jazz re:freshed says: “Despite barriers, we are still on a mission to celebrate a genre and musicians whose performance opportunities are severely reduced right now, and to showcase the incredibly diverse, colourful, expressive and creative world of jazz music and alternative culture. The festival has been the perfect launchpad for pioneering artists such as Moses Boyd and SEED Ensemble, and it’s great to return with a mix of fresh talent and established acts, and with the support of MQA and Bluesound to deliver the performances remotely in studio-quality resolution.”
Mike Jbara, MQA CEO adds: “MQA is committed to helping artists connect with fans by allowing them to hear the full musical performance, as if they were there. The performers showcased at Jazz re:freshed events are brimming with originality and energy, and their artistry is fully revealed in this way. We are proud to be a small part of the events imagined by Jazz re:freshed.”
Gord Simmonds, CEO and President of Lenbrook International, parent company of Bluesound and BluOS:
“We are very pleased to be able to support this unique event as it demonstrates the power of BluOS platform as more than just a hi-res multiroom audio distribution system that happens to be inside a growing number of high-end audio brands. The ability to stream a music festival, in studio and life-like quality, directly into many thousands of users’ living rooms around the world is an extraordinary way for artists to connect with their fans, and for the fans to be able to enjoy live performances again.”
The full festival will be streamed live from 5-9pm on Sunday 23rd August via YouTube.com/jazzrefreshedtv and in MQA audio to Bluesound speaker owners and BluOS Enabled devices.

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