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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 2025).

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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.
Sat 17: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Newcastle City Library. 9:00-10:00pm. Free. A 'Late Shows' event.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

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

Friday, March 26, 2021

Marsden Jazz Festival are proud to be partnering with Black Lives in Music to combat inequality in the music industry


(Press release)

The Yorkshire-based jazz festival is working with new organisation Black Lives in Music to empower and amplify Black musicians’ voices and promote their ground-breaking research 

Black Lives in Music (BLiM) was launched to tackle the racial inequalities in the UK music industry and to help create inclusive and diverse participation and representation within jazz and classical music.

Marsden Jazz Festival is proud to be one of the first music festivals to sign up to this initiative and is working closely with the organisation to widen opportunities for black musicians at their festival, as well as to celebrate the history and achievements of black jazz musicians throughout the UK.

BLiM’s goals include widening opportunities at grassroots levels for emerging Black artists and advocating for equality in the music industry workforce.

Through their survey, which is now open to respondents, BLiM are asking Black musicians and music creators to share their stories and have their voices heard. It will address barriers that limit talent from thriving, including racial discrimination, mental health, well-being and economic disparity.

With a strong commitment to achieving an equitable festival and wider music industry on all levels, Marsden Jazz Festival didn’t hesitate to partner with Black Lives in Music alongside other arts heavyweights including Help Musicians UK, Jazz North, PRS Foundation, Manchester Jazz Festival and Leeds Conservatoire.

Marsden Jazz Festival is already signed up to and achieving the Keychange pledge of a 50/50 gender balance in artistic programming, so joining BLiM is the next step in their work to creating a diverse, accessible and representative festival for all.

Barney Stevenson, Artistic Director for Marsden Jazz Festival said: "I am very proud that Black Lives in Music invited Marsden Jazz Festival to become a founding partner of their crucial movement. Since 1992, Marsden Jazz Festival has brought a black art form to the heart of a predominantly white, rural community in Marsden in the South Pennines of West Yorkshire.

“But we know that Marsden Jazz Festival has further to go to ensure black representation amongst all of our stakeholders, be they board of trustees, staff, artists, volunteers and our audience.

“We recognise that we are at a particular moment in history when systematic black underrepresentation in the UK jazz sector can no longer be ignored, and we are proud to be part of the movement to counteract that."

Currently, no data exists on black musicians and professionals in the UK and BLiM and their partners are here to change that. Through this research, systemic racism within the music industry will be brought to the fore of the conversation and huge, lasting changes can then be made to tackle it. BLiM will be supporting festivals, universities, orchestras and more to achieve inclusive and diverse senior management/board level, as well as mentoring to enable the progression of Black musicians.

Black musicians and music professionals are urged to fill out the Black Lives in Music survey by visiting: https://blim.org.uk/change

1. Marsden Jazz Festival was founded in 1992 and is one of the UK’s longest established jazz festivals with a commitment to equality and diversity

2. Black Lives in Music (BLiM) is an organisation that uses data and advocacy to address the issue of racial inequality in the jazz and classical music sector.

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