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

18602 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 466 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 8) 17

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

Fri 12: Look Left + Olly Styles Trio @ The Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Look Left (formerly Littlewood Trio) feat. Marcus Dawe (keyboards); Ifede Osiyemi (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums). Olly Styles Trio feat. Styles (tenor sax); Paul Grainger (double bass); Josh Weir (drums).
Fri 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Cleveland Bay Hotel, Eaglescliffe. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 13: Ladies of Midnight Blue + Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington NE63 9YF. Free. From 10:00am. Ladies of Midnight Blue (3:00-3:45pm); Northern Monkey Brass Band (4:00-4:45pm).
Sat 13: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 13: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 13: Courtney Pine @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £35.80. Pine (saxophones); Robert Mitchell (piano); Rio Kai (double bass); Romarna Campbell (drums). ‘A Modern-Day Jazz Story 1986 - 2026’.

Sun 14: Front Porch Band: Swing Tyne’s Swing Social @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations (£5.00. - £10.00. suggested). Swing dance event w. taster class (12:30pm).
Sun 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Doctor Jazz @ The Old Church, Sacriston, Durham. 3:00-5:00pm . Free (donations welcome). New Orleans, blues & classic 20th century songs. Food & soft drinks available, BYOB.
Sun 14: Eddie Gripper Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.

Mon 15: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 15: Dan Johnson w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 16: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Sunday, March 07, 2021

A Sunday Service with Mezz Mezzrow - Mar. 7

Adrian Cox (clarinet, vocals)

Of the many live streams to choose from, Adrian Cox's weekly Sunday Service is of a consistently high standard. Over the weeks and months our genial clarinetist has developed a large online following. Engaging with his audience seems to come naturally and, like many musicians, Cox has come to grips with the live stream technology. Today's session would focus upon clarinetist Mezz Mezzrow. 

Still slumming it in Bulgaria, Cox thanked the hotel for giving him free rein. Today's session came live from the hotel lobby. Would hotel guests stop by to listen? At the off no fewer than 100 fans were online. First up, Hot Club Stomp followed by Clarence Williams' I Ain't Give You None o' This Jelly Roll with Cox's first vocal of the set. Minutes later the online audience numbered 125. Clearly, word gets around. Just noticed Adrian's snazzy hat. Perhaps it's part of the Bad Manners' stage gear (Adrian does play stuff other than jazz!). 

Everybody Loves My Baby (comp. Spencer Williams/lyrics Jack Palmer) played - and sung - to a gentle background hum. What/who was it? Hotel guests! Real live human beings! Hang in there, the real, live gig is on the horizon! A pint, a packet of crisps, can't wait! 

Next week it's Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday. Adrian will be looking at the work of Ivy Benson. Excellent, tune in at one o'clock. Earlier in the week Adrian consulted Jim Denham about the tune Lights Out. Oracle Denham replied with chapter and verse. Adrian played - and sung - it, handclapping as he went, saying he liked the number, swiftly adding he liked all of the tunes he plays.

During the week our host listened to lots of Mezz Mezzrow. Aware of some of the critics who weren't too impressed with the man's technique, Adrian leapt to Mezzrow's defense saying: He had amazing spirit for the music (not least in the era of Dizzy and Bird and the all-pervading sound of bebop). Christopher's Rockin' took us up to two o'clock (four o'clock if you're in Bulgaria). In closing, Adrian recommended this evening's session from Ronnie Scott's - Denny Ilett's Big Band playing the music of Jimi Hendrix. That's recommendation enough, eight o'clock.      

Russell           

Set list: Hot Club StompI Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None o' This Jelly RollIndianaTommy's BluesA Melody from the SkySendin' the VipersEverybody Loves My BabyLights OutChristopher's Rockin' (aka Christopher Columbus)

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