Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 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

18288 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 142 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 14), 42

From This Moment On ...

February

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Sat 21: ???

Sun 22: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 22: Joe Steels Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Harben Kay Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: Joe Steels Group @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 24: Liam Oliver & Shayo Oshodi @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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: Geordie Jazz Jam @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Newcastle University jam session. All welcome.
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 26: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 26: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00 adv.
Thu 26: Mick Cantwell Band @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Blues.

Fri 27: Joe Steels Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! A Blue Patch album tour.
Fri 27: Alan Barnes w. Mick Shoulder Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Trio: Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
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: Radio Hito + Eddie Prévost, Silvain Schmid & Tom Wheatley @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £12.22., £10.10., £8.00.
Fri 27: Giacomo Smith w Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Fri 27: Alan Barnes w. Mick Shoulder Trio @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Trio: Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).

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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