Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

October.

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Mon 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 12: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Monday, November 16, 2020

Dinosaur: Live stream from Kings Place, EFG London Jazz Festival - Nov. 15

Laura Jurd (trumpet); Elliot Galvin (piano); Conor Chaplin (double bass); Corrie Dick (drums).

(Review & screen grabs by Amy Sibley-Allen)

Perhaps to give the authentic feel of a live jazz gig the live stream didn’t start at the time advertised, in was in fact the result of technical issues. However once resolved Mercury-nominated quartet Dinosaur delivered a fine rendition of their 3rd Studio Album To The Earth. Released on Edition Records in May this is its first outing. A predominately acoustic album, in contrast to their more ‘plugged in’ prior albums, Together as One and Wonder Trail, this is a perfect fit for Kings Place’s Hall 1.

As always, bandleader, composer and trumpeter Laura Jurd’s modest, unassuming energy, makes for an incredibly relaxed concert - whilst her underlying confidence in her music- making still shines through.

Opening with the album’s title track To The Earth Conor Chaplin’s bass vamp reels us in and the concert gets off to a great start. The languorous Slow Loris lives up to the title and is both deliberate and unhurried with a plodding bass line interspersed with Jurd’s trumpet growls and Eliott Glavin’s cascading piano.

Corrie Dick’s drums skills are showcased in the exuberant Mosking, a track inspired by the Norwegian piano trio Moskus, which opens with a playful duo between Dick and Jurd and followed later by a groovy drum solo utilising the tin can perched on Dick’s cymbals.  

All tracks on the album are composed by Jurd besides a cover of Billy Strayhorn’s Absinthe, from Duke Ellington’s album Afro-Bossa. A wonderful spacey synth vibe prevails throughout. A fun and rhymical Banning St Blues leads into the tender and melancholic For One - a perfect end to the set.  

Overall the evening was a joy, if there was any gripe at all perhaps the drums seemed a little lost in the mix, but other than that the sound and visuals were truly excellent. Now in their tenth year of music making together Dinosaur continue to evolve and go from strength to strength. Whatever comes next for them let’s hope to be able to applaud in person. Although, as several people noted in the chat feature having the fridge within easy reach has its plus sides.

Amy Sibley-Allen

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