Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 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

18288 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 142 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 14), 42

From This Moment On ...

February

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Sat 21: ???

Sun 22: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 22: Joe Steels Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Harben Kay Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: Joe Steels Group @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 24: Liam Oliver & Shayo Oshodi @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Geordie Jazz Jam @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Newcastle University jam session. All welcome.
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 26: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 26: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00 adv.
Thu 26: Mick Cantwell Band @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Blues.

Fri 27: Joe Steels Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! A Blue Patch album tour.
Fri 27: Alan Barnes w. Mick Shoulder Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Trio: Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Radio Hito + Eddie Prévost, Silvain Schmid & Tom Wheatley @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £12.22., £10.10., £8.00.
Fri 27: Giacomo Smith w Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Fri 27: Alan Barnes w. Mick Shoulder Trio @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Trio: Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).

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 17, 2020

Sunday August 23 @ 8:00pm: Live Music From the Globe - The Alice Grace Quartet

(Press release)

Live music from The Globe! … But you can only watch it on a screen, for now.
On Sunday 23 August the Alice Grace Quartet will be performing at The Globe. The gig will be streamed live and you can watch it again at any time. The Globe will remain closed to the public so please do not try to attend the gig in person. We are planning to allow audiences in The Globe as soon as we can accommodate them safely and within government guidelines.


A vocal-led jazz quartet, characterised by thoughtful melodies, snappy inter-play and improvisation. With a choice of repertoire inspired by the greats of the bebop era and the contemporary sounds of artists such as Chick Corea and Norma Winstone. For Alice, being a singer is more than being a story-teller. As well as performing both jazz standards and original tunes, Alice treats her voice like a horn, taking the audience on an energetic and creative journey.

Line Up: Alice Grace – vocals; Mark Williams – guitar; Paul Grainger - double bass; Russ Morgan – drums.


So that the musicians can get paid, we ask you to pay a small ‘entrance fee’, which we recommend should be £5 per person. If you are able to pay a bit more this will be really welcome at this time when gig income for musicians has almost completely stopped.

TO VIEW THE LIVESTREAM GIG PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Make a donation via the following link. https://bit.ly/3gBCoNIDonate 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. When we have received notification of your donation we will send you an email with instructions on how to view the livestream. Please note that this is not an automated process. Our volunteers may not respond immediately. Also remember that our message will go to the email account associated with your payment which may not be the one you usually use.

3. We recommend that you access and save the link as soon as you receive our instructions. On Sunday 23 August 'doors open' at 7.45pm to give you time to check your set up, get comfortable and chat with other members of the audience.

ABOUT ALICE GRACE

Alice Grace is a British jazz singer whose career began touring with established UK jazz big band The National Youth Jazz Orchestra and guest singing with the James Pearson Trio at the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, before landing a place to continue her musical education at the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Alice sang with a variety of jazz and soul ensembles performing at prestigious venues such as The Southbank Centre, The Barbican and the Royal Albert Hall in London, as well as more intimate jazz venues across the UK and Europe, sharing the stage with some of her biggest jazz influences; Norma Winstone, Jacqui Dankworth, Cleveland Watkiss and Pete Churchill.

Since graduating with BMus Hons in 2010, Alice’s performing has taken her to many countries, including a two year stint in the Middle East where she co-founded Time Out award-winning band The Swing Revue; performing a packed schedule of high profile events and helping build a hugely successful residency at Jazz Pizza Express.

On returning to the UK, Alice joined her husband in the north-east of England. Here she continues her work in all aspects of music: performing, recording and teaching.

As the lead female singer with the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band, Alice performs regularly around the north of the UK, sharing the stage with jazz A-listers including Joe Stilgoe, Polly Gibbons, Bruce Adams, Alan Barnes, Paul Booth, Hailey Tuck, Anthony Strong and Mark Nightingale.

2018 saw the recording of duo album ‘A Timeless Place’ by Alice and guitarist Pawel Jedrzejewski, following their performance for the Jazz North East ‘Women Make Music’ series, as well as performances in Italy and Ibiza with jazz comrades The Playhouse Band.

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