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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

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, October 26, 2020

12,000 not out and still bopping...


Wow! We've now reached 12,000 posts since BSH began in 2008. What began with very modest aims has now had almost four and a half million page views from all over the world.

Although our main emphasis has been covering jazz in all its many forms in the north east our writers also travel to the London Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott's, Pizza Express, Spice of Life and other clubs in the capital. 

Festivals in Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Scarborough and elsewhere are covered along with occasional reports from our continental ops, as well as visits to Wisconsin for the annual Bix Fest and, of course, Hong Kong, where our good friend, broadcaster and bandleader Colin Aitchison, makes our presence known via interviews with myself and other local musicians.

On the home front we've covered prestigious events at Sage Gateshead, in Darlington and Durham, and Mike Durham's International Classic Jazz Party as well as smaller, but no less important gigs promoted by the Jazz Co-op, Jazz North East, Newcastle Arts Centre (Black Swan), Hoochie Coochie, the Prohibition Bar and, naturally, its illustrious predecessor, the Jazz Café run by the charismatic Keith Crombie who, sadly, is probably now creating havoc "up there" or, as is more likely, "down there". The grass roots traditional jazz venues and numerous jam sessions across the region are visited and reported on by various members of our team. I'm not going to mention names as there are too many and I'm bound to overlook someone.

So, wherever you are today, raise a glass of your favourite tipple and toast - not me or any of us - but to the concept of Bebop Spoken Here which, as it says on the masthead, is "Updating the world about jazz in the north east of England and updating the north east of England about jazz in the world".

Lance

PS: Oh, I almost forgot to mention that in 2018 we won the APPJAG Media category - my middle names is Modesty!

PPS: Image is of our first ever flier!

5 comments :

Roly Veitch said...

Congratulations Lance. I remember you distributing those fliers and cards. Amazing to think where it is now. Best wishes. Roly

The LondonJazz site said...

Lance it’s a phenomenal achievement !!!

Jude Murphy (on F/b) said...

What an achievement Lance! X

Patti said...

I'll raise a glass or two tonight to toast your amazing achievement, Lance! xx

Ken D said...

Crikey ! That' 1000 per Year !! Congratulations on making that number, and on the number of your Blog-Followers ! Ken

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