Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

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

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Preview: Junior Wells at Kansas Smitty's (Jan. 20)

In September 1965, Delmark Records' boss Bob Koester invited Junior Wells to record an album with musicians of his choosing. A couple of months later the Chicago based label released Hoodoo Man Blues by the Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band. It would prove to be one of the label's biggest selling albums. 

Chicago's classic 50s' South Side blues scene - Wille Dixon, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf - continued to exert influence throughout the sixties with the emergence of the likes of Paul Butterfield and Charlie Musselwhite. On Wells' mid-sixties recording he adopted the classic, spine-tingling harmonica-through-the-PA set up. Sharing the vocals with guitarist Buddy Guy (cementing a life-long musical partnership), Wells recruited bassist Jack Myers and drummer Bill Warren to complete the studio line-up. 

Tonight's Kansas Smitty's live stream will be playing cuts from Hoodoo Man Blues. It's odds on we'll hear Good Morning School GirlHound DogEarly in the Morning and, of course, the title track, Hoodoo Man Blues. Smitty's line-up includes Dave Archer (Buddy Guy!) and Jalen N'Gonda (Wells' vocals!). The question is, who, if anyone, will be blowing blues harp?! Log on to Facebook/YouTube at eight o'clock to find out!    
Russell             

1 comment :

NeilC said...

Thank you Russell what a cracking set really enjoyed it but it reinforced how much we all miss live music and how much the artists miss us . Virtual is all we can expect at the moment but just heard Bob Geldof ranting about Government help , the most pertinent point was an example he gave was Gary Numan, who put out a virtual album/single which received a million hits on Social media and he received £37 for his troubles , absolutely shocking .

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