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

Monday, September 28, 2020

The Glenn Crytzer Sextet live streaming from NYC: The Courtyard Concert #8 - Sept. 27


Mike Davis (trumpet, vocals); Jim Fryer (trombone); Ricky Alexander (clarinet); Glenn Crytzer (guitar, banjo, vocals); Jay Rattman (bass saxophone); Jay Lepley (drums)

Two thirty in the afternoon in New York,  seven thirty in the evening in Newcastle upon Tyne. 26° in NYC, 8° in Newcastle - where would you rather be? Well, thanks to the musician's new-found friend - the live stream - we were transported for one hour only to the city that never sleeps as band leader Glenn Crytzer presented another in his series of Courtyard Concert sessions.

No. 8 - or should that be #8? - in the series from the alleyway below his NYC apartment featured a fine sextet with a couple of the guys well-known to patrons of Mike Durham's International Classic Jazz Party...Messrs Mike Davis and Jim Fryer. Glenn Crytzer runs a big band in the Big Apple, not exactly the ideal sized unit when hustling for a gig in these pandemic times. So, a sextet it was, and, a few early sound issues aside, this turned out to be a rather good session comprising a host of popular numbers from the 20s and 30s.  

The CharlestonThere ain't no Sweet Man Worth the Salt of my Tears (Crytzer taking a first vocal of the afternoon), Doin' the New Lowdown, the first three numbers. A distracting echo on the live stream was soon rectified and from there on in the sound proved to be just fine. In these Covid-19 times Jim Fryer periodically wore a face covering, drummer Jay Lepley donning a mask throughout. Trumpeter Davis (superb articulation) and clarinetist Ricky Alexander were occupied blowing their respective horns, similarly Jay Rattman had his hands full in the engine room wielding his bass saxophone alongside Lepley.

Way Down Yonder in New Orleans took us from New York to Louisiana, Mike Davis sang a verse on Blue River and Crytzer followed up singing Blue Skies. Some numbers are guaranteed winners and Crytzer wisely chose St Louis Blues, it was a winner! The hour was flying by, time for Crytzer to plug his PayPal account: Glenn@GlennCrytzer.com - and look at his phone to see who was tuned-in our man exclaimed: A lotta cats out there!

Time was nearly up, time for Jazz Me Blues (Fryer having a blast, so too Ricky Alexander) then I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover positively motored. A good way to end a session all the way from NYC.  
Russell

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