Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

October. Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Mon 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 12: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Friday, March 12, 2021

Nick Hempton Quartet live streaming from Small's, NYC - Mar 11

Nick Hempton (alto sax, tenor sax); Ed Cherry (guitar); Kyle Koehler (Hammond B3); Fukushi Tainaka (drums)

BSH most recently heard Nick Hempton over the Christmas festive period live streaming from GB's Juke Joint. On that occasion the swinging tenor and alto saxophonist worked alongside guitarist Peter Bernstein. This evening at Small's ex-Dizzy Gillespie guitarist Ed Cherry was on the gig. As ever, Kyle Koehler stoked the B3 with Fukushi Tainaka swinging it along behind the kit. 

Hempton's authoritative opening tenor sax statement on Heartaches set the tone for the evening's one hour set. Charlie Parker's Blues in F heard from all four musicians - Koehler superb, Tainaka featuring in an extended drum solo. Tainaka's Blakey-esque shuffle drive opened it up for Hempton (muscular tenor) and Cherry (a la Wes M) to stretch out on Hanky Panky (Vasilis Xenopoulos has been known to give Dexter Gordon's tune a workout!). Marlowe's Theme (comp. David Shire, from the 1975 film adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel Farewell, My Lovely starring Robert Mitchum) slowed things down (Hempton on alto), very much the calm before the storm. 

Bandleader Hempton turned to his band mates saying: Let's do, ah...Oh, Lady be Good! Oh, yes! A fleet tenor solo, a brushed and sticks drum solo (Tainaka brushing his sleeve, no time to be dudin' up his shirt front, you could almost hear Astaire gliding across Small's cramped stage!). And to close, from Nick Hempton's 2017 album, the title track, Night Owl, our bandleader impressing once again on tenor sax. An excellent set, catch up with it (and literally thousands of other archived performances) via Small's YouTube channel.     
Russell

Set list: Heartaches; Blues in F; Hanky Panky, Marlowe's Theme; Oh, Lady be Good!; Night Owl
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