Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Best Albums of 2020 (Editor's choice)

These are some of the albums that I have enjoyed this year. They're in alphabetical order and I haven't included downloads as, Luddite that I am, to me they're too ephemeral - out of sight, out of mind,

Big Band

Kathrine Windfeld Big Band - Orca.

Maria Schneider Orchestra - Data Lords.

South Florida Jazz Orchestra - Cheap Thrills.

Vocal

Callum Au/Claire Martin - Songs and Stories.

Diana Krall - This Dream of You.

Jo Harrop/Jamie McCredie - Weathering the Storm.

Marty Elkins - 'Tis Autumn.

Royal Bopsters - Party of Four.

Small Group.

Allison Neale - Quietly There.

Artemis.

Charles McPherson - Jazz Dance Suites.

Dime Notes - Daylight Savin'

Eddie Daniels - Night Kisses.

House of the Black Gardenia - The New Lowdown.,

James Copus - Dusk.

Jeff Hamilton Trio - Catch Me If You Can.

Judith/Dave O'Higgins - His 'n' Hers.

Max Haymer - Whirlwind.

Rob Barron - From This Moment On

TRYPL.

Classic/Historic

Dave Brubeck - Lullabies.

Dexter Gordon - The Squirrel.

Ella Fitzgerald - The Lost Berlin Tapes.

Louis Armstrong - Live in Europe.

Neil Swainson - 49th Parallel.

Wolfgang Lackerschmid/Chet Baker - Ballads For Two.

Wolfgang Lackerschmid/Chet Baker - Quintet Sessions 1979.

There are many more I could/should/would have picked but time and space etc.

Let's hear it for your choices.

Lance

at

4 comments :

Dave said...

Hi Lance
I’ll make my usual complaint about Data Lords in that it is raved about by those who get free copies to review but unheard by the rest of us who would have to pay £50 plus to import a copy for ourselves.
Apart from that, keep up the excellent work.
Cheers
Dave

Wednesday, December 09, 2020 4:07:00 pm
Lance said...

Dave, we're always on the lookout for reviewers ...

Thursday, December 10, 2020 6:52:00 pm
Dave said...

Oh no! I might have got myself volunteered there.
Sign me up

Thursday, December 10, 2020 9:50:00 pm
Lance said...

Email me and we'll find something for you.

Thursday, December 10, 2020 10:27:00 pm

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