It's 2021 and things are looking up. Tens of millions of life-changing doses of miraculous vaccines are on their way. Some people have already been jabbed...Ouch! Don't look back in anger, rather look to the future. Against the odds, often operating on a shoestring budget, musicians, promoters and venues have embraced the digital age, live streaming from some unlikely places (bedrooms, kitchens, lofts) and more familiar places closer to home and further afield (The Globe, Newcastle Arts Centre, Prohibition Bar, Ronnie Scott's, Lincoln Center, NYC).
In the short term the live stream rules. In the not-too-distant future (Easter?) we could be out and about at our favourite venues, contributing to the jazz economy in time honoured fashion...frequenting the bar and buying raffle tickets!
Bebop Spoken Here's patch - broadly the Tweed down to the Tees Delta - has much to look forward to: festivals (all to be confirmed) include Darlington Jazz Festival (Apr-May); Hexham Jazz Festival (May); Newcastle Jazz Festival (Aug); Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music (Oct); Maltings Jazz Weekend (Oct); Classic Jazz Party (Nov).
Binker Golding, Linda May Han Oh, Pete Long with the Strictly Smokin' Big Band (all Feb) and Nikki Iles later in the year are scheduled to appear at Sage Gateshead, although February's concerts could come too soon for the region to be out of tiers and/or lockdowns. Elsewhere, Jeff Barnhart, Georgia Cécile and Paul Edis will delight full houses during the year and a multitude of venues will once again be opening their doors.
Jam sessions, residencies, touring artists, workshops - these things will return during 2021. If at times we've taken such things for granted, let's resolve to never again pass up the opportunity to support any and every jazz event on the doorstep and beyond. As someone almost said: Jazz Lives...Again!
Russell
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