Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

From This Moment On

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone - August 20

Jim McBriarty (clarinet, soprano sax, vocals); Lawrence McBriarty (trombone); Brian Bennett (banjo, guitar); Bill Colledge (bass guitar); Fred Thompson (drums, vocals) + John Broddle (vocals)

No Ray Harley this week so the McBriartys stepped up supported by MC Brian Bennett, banjo, guitar, Bill Colledge, bass guitar and sweet singing drummer Fred Thompson. The Vieux Carré Jazzmen's weekly residency is well and truly up and running (week three) and with the weather set fair it was nice to have the option to play indoors or out. Outdoors it was with straw boaters, porkpies and other head gear in evidence.

You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams sang Fred Thompson with Jim McBriarty on soprano saxophone. We were under way. Toting clarinet McBriarty sang I've Got the World on a String before handing over once again to FT to sing Ballin' the Jack. Mr Bennett called a slow blues...WC Handy's Hesitation Blues with Lawrence McBriarty plungering and brother Jim blowing soprano. It was warm in the Holystone's beer garden, another pint of Wainwright's was called for...

Drummer FT sang another one, this time Frankie and Johnny. In no time the interval approached, time for Mr John Broddle to get up to sing a number. Crazy the selection, Mr B would return later. 

No raffle (Covid-aware are the VCJ), simply a couple of quid in the hat (straw boater). The Wainwright's had been seen off, the alternative, a pint of Deuchar's and, for a treat, a jacket potato. The Holystone's Covid-aware bar staff insisted on bringing the order to the sun-dappled table. Garçon! Peel me another grape!  

Second set: Angry. Was somebody upset? No, merely Jim McBriarty singing a favourite number of the late Fred Rowe. Jim's mild-mannered brother Lawrence thought about giving the 'bone a telling off but it wasn't quite his style! As in recent weeks Brian Bennett swapped banjo for guitar on just the one number, this time accompanying Mr McBriarty's Bechet-esque soprano sax feature on Petite Fleur. Three o'clock wasn't far off, time for Jim McB to give us his take on Whenever You're Lonesome with some clarinet into the bargain. Time to go, a quick one, with John Broddle joining the Vieux Carré one last time. Roses of Picardy sang JB. Same time next week (1:00pm) - indoors, outdoors, let's see what the weather brings.   
Russell

1 comment :

Brian Bennett said...

Irlane Davison on Facebook said - “Enjoyed yesterday afternoon. Good weather, good food and an excellent selection of music. Great. Thanks guys. x”

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