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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
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.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Record Shop Days

No, this has nothing to do with the animated comments that followed the Bacon Butty post. In fact, at the time I'm writing about, vinyl was but a gleam in the record companies' eyes.

No, here I'm reminiscing about Gordon Eades Ltd. I don't know who Gordon Eades was or if there ever was such a person but, his name was the name over the door of a record shop on Fawcett St., in Sunderland and, as is relevant to this post, a shop in Jarrow which is now, after several other changes of direction - including another record shop - a Turkish barbers. 


The shop sold records (78rpm), sheet music and pianos - a bit like J.G.Windows at the time and probably many others throughout the country.

The Jarrow branch was run by a rather doddery old gentleman called Mr. Stubbs. My parents were regular customers buying say a recording of Eileen Joyce playing Dohnányi's Rhapsody in C Major (my mum could also knock out a fair version which, in years to come, became her signature dish - I digress!)

I too was a regular customer buying, at first, such things as Tennessee Ernie's Shot Gun Boogie or Frankie Laine's Jezebel before moving on to Louis, Artie, Duke, Benny, Stan etc.

The thing about Mr Stubbs was, if my mum asked for something by Chopin, Mr Stubbs would happily trot along to get the record or the music, humming the melody as he left on his quest, when I asked for a pop or a jazz record he would refer me to his assistant saying, "Serve this young chap will you?"

His assistant was an attractive blonde, so I didn't mind at all! However, she was older and totally out of the range of a 15 year old who had yet to start shaving!

I changed record shops.

In neighbouring Hebburn, there was a small record shop - The Tinkler Music Service - it's now the Citizen's Advice Bureau or something similar.

Back then, it was presided over by a rather attractive girl - Sylvia. She was older than me but, by now, I'd started shaving so the age difference wasn't so noticeable.

We kinda clicked and went to jazz concerts at The Odeon, The Essoldo and the City Hall in Newcastle. I got my records cheap and her dad had a pub. But, as happens ...

After National Service in the RAF I found myself living in London and, needless to say, I was a regular at Dobell's on Charing Cross Rd. but, my most abiding memory is of James Asman's shop on, was it St. Martin's Lane? Among the records were a couple of books - Mezz Mezzrow's Really The Blues and Charles Delauney's Hot Discographie. They were both quite expensive and, I think, first editions so I left to speculate on which one to go for. I drank a pint of Watney's Red Barrel in a nearby pub and decided, what the hell, I'll buy them both. Needless to say, when I returned, they had both been sold.

Eventually, the wheel turned the full circle. Gordon Eades Ltd. had gone but, up in Newcastle, J.G. Windows Ltd. hadn't and, eventually, I spent the next 30 odd years of my life working there.

So, best of luck on Record Store Day, sell lots of albums - irrespective of format and, maybe one or two customers will buy a saxophone or a trumpet or a grand piano.

However, re the bacon butties - is there a Vegan option?
Lance 

2 comments :

Russell said...

Lance- you must take a look at www.britishrecordshoparchive.org. It includes an advert for the Disque record shop chain. There was a branch in Jarrow!

Lance said...

I can't remember much about Disque. Before the Turkish Barbers' sign went up you could still see, in faded lettering - Discount Records.

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