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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

17,533 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 497 of them this year alone and, so far, 75 this month (June 23).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

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: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
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: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Linskill Centre, North Shields. 4:00-10:30pm. Free, but ticketed (over 18s only). A multi-bill, multi-genre ‘Canny Shiels - North Shields 800’ event. Three Kings Brewery on site.
Sat 28: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 29: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 29: Bal Bruch Social Dance @ As You Like It, Sandyford, Newcastle. 12:30pm. Free. Dance event with Hot Club de Heaton performing live (2:00-3:00pm). A ‘Jar on the Bar’ event.
Sun 29: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 3:00pm. Ray McVay & co.
Sun 29: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: Zoë Gilby w. Ryton Choral Society @ Corbridge Middle School NE45 5HX. 5:30pm. £15.00. Gilby w jazz trio & choir. ‘An evening of jazz song for choir’.
Sun 29: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 29: John Wilson & the Sinfonia of London @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Greatest Hits’.
Sun 29: Out Front @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

JULY 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

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, November 30, 2020

Happiness and Heartbreak livestreamed from The Globe: - Nov. 29

Debra Milne (vocals); Stu Collingwood (keys); Steve Summers (soprano sax, tenor sax, shakers)

It Don't Mean A Thing … sang Debra, and it didn't, because the screen froze, music ceased, all dead for a few minutes, then all came alive again and the show continued in fine form. The performers are to be congratulated for not being thrown at all by the hazards of technology. Such is life, and all aspects of love and romantic life were then explored via the GASbook.

There Will Never Be Another You, skilfully piano-led, with a solo from Steve on curved soprano sax. An eastern-flavoured, suitably exotic, introduction to Caravan; God Bless The Child sung gently with suitably mournful tenor sax;  Too Darn Hot full of typical Cole Porter double entendres; Corcovado, touchingly dedicated by Debra to her husband (aaah!) who is working hard in medical circles.

Debra showed bravery in tackling the classic made famous by Nina Simone, My Baby Just Cares For Me, with its well known introduction and outro, ably played on keys by Stu. If there is such a thing as 'walking keys' (not walking bass) this is it, as the intro sounds to me as if the piano is walking along a street. You Don't Know What Love Is was sung with feeling and a notable tenor sax – the tone of the tenor is so, so good for expressing melancholy.

Lullaby Of Birdland displayed happy scat and an effective keys solo. After another couple of songs an encore was demanded by the chat, giving us Route 66, with skilled, lively, scatted lyrics, one of the best bits of scat that I've heard from Debra.

A good show from the trio, an audience of around 40 households, and meeting of friends in the chat column. A great way to spend an hour on Sunday evening in these difficult times. And of course excellent camera work and sound from the Globe volunteers.

Ann Alex

It Don't Mean A Thing; There Will Never Be Another You; Caravan; God Bless The Child; Too Darn Hot; Corcovado; Perdido; My Baby Just Cares For Me; You Don't Know What Love Is; Lullaby Of Birdland; Born To Be Blue; Temptation; Route 66

2 comments :

Debra said...

Thanks for your lovely review Anne! The scat at the end was based on Billie's Bounce - lyrics by Eddie Jefferson (and me)

Hugh said...

Nice bass too - very impressive, Stu, not only two hands on the keys, but feet on the pedals as well!

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