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.

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.

Tue 13: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Julija Jacenaite (vocals).

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Rico's Xmas Popup Louis - Dec. 18

Rico Tomasso (cornet, trumpet, vocals, Santa Hat); Tom 'Spats' Langham (guitar, banjo, vocals, photoshopped Santa hat)

Well, it's that time of year, isn't it? Rico Tomasso's final Popup Louis of 2020, the last one before next week's 'big day', time to dig out the Santa hats. Since the world changed (March 2020) trumpeter Rico Tomasso has scarcely missed a week in his long-running Popup Louis Friday evening date with his many online fans. The one or two he has missed were due to our host having an actual gig - remember them? 
Rico's 'Ale of the Week' was a deadly 7% brew from Norfolk, your reviewer settling for a bottle of Rivet Catcher (a 4% session beer), once brewed by the defunct Jarrow Brewery, now in the portfolio of the Great North Eastern Brewing Co., up the road in Dunston. Upon realising his beer was a tad on the strong side, Rico suggested he'd take it easy...maybe not! 

Tonight's session reunited Rico with Spats. Not 'with his spats', rather with Thomas 'Spats' Langham. Spats is a student of popular song, predominately 1910s-1930s' vintage. As Rico cued up each track (Spats recorded his guitar/banjo/vocal parts during the week), our host made the association with landmark, or favourite, recordings. At the Christmas Ball (Bessie Smith the association) got the show on the road, Spats singing. 

The Love Nest (Bix), Santa Claus Came in the Spring* (Benny G, Putney Dandridge), 1950s Louis' rendition of Chlo-e (Song of the Swamp), also an early-career success for Ethel Waters some two decades earlier. Rico's cornet wasn't behaving itself, the valves were sticking. A switch to trumpet would remedy the situation...

Winter Wonderland taken at an unusually slow tempo (Louis), Rico singing. Our man still wasn't happy with his choice of horn. Rico looked over his shoulder, opened a case and took out what he called his 'proper' horn, his Conn Victor. Seemingly content, Rico joined Spats on There Ain't no Man Worth the Salt of My Tears (Bix, Bing, Peggy, Annette Hanshaw), Spats on banjo, singing the vocal part. 

Rico expressed surprise that they had got through the set list so quickly, musing that he hadn't nattered as much as usual! Three to go...White Christmas (Spats playing guitar as he sang), a request from an online Chilean for Swing That Music (Rico vocals, Spats guitar), then, a good 'un, What a Wonderful World. Yes, indeed. Rico's Popup Louis returns January 8, 2021.   
    
* A song for our times? 
Russell    
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