Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Stedman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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

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    
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive