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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Ten Jazz Commandments (Amended)

A while back I posted my ten favourite Art Pepper tracks and asked readers to send me their ten favourite jazz "whatevers". Ann Alex responded with her ten favourite jazz songs and Steve T, who never does things by half-measure, provide an audio presentation of his TWENTY favourite jazz funk tracks but, since then, no one else has responded. It shouldn't be too hard - most of us have five digits on each hand to help us so, come on, get your fingers out and start counting!

In the meantime, to keep the ball rolling here's my Ten Jazz Commandments.

1) Thou shall not take the name of Lord Armstrong of Storyville in vain.

2)  Thou shall not worship false gods such as John, Paul, George and Ringo.

3) Thou shall not steal thy neighbour's licks, nor his chords, nor his progressions unless they are superior to your own.

4) Thou shall not leave the gig until you have helped to carry out the drums, the keyboards and the bandleader.

5) Thou shall not consume alcohol during the gig unless it is free.

6) Thou shall not ask your fellow musicians to play in keys with a surplus of sharps and flats.

7) Thou shall not sing.

8) Thou shall not use a banjo for any reason other than in self-defence.

9) Thou shall read your BSH daily - morning, noon and night.

10) Thou shall not commit adultery unless the opportunity arises.

Lance

4 comments :

Steve T said...

I can only add ten more false Gods (though none anywhere near the same league as yours), but to keep it interesting, I haven't named them, though I've listed them in rough chronologic order.

If you've guessed who they are, it's probably because I'm right:

1. The busker in black.
2. Grotesquely over-rated songwriter.
3. But are they a boyband or a novelty act?
4. Not a good teenie group like the fabs, nor a proper rock group like Cream.
5. One amongst many fantastic reggae acts.
6. Silly outfits and haircuts, dreadful voice, gimmicky, novelty and a bit teenie.
7. Classic rock, metal, prog, pop, dead nominal leader. God forbid, another Beatles under construction!
8. Worst manufactured band ever, and it was deliberate.
9. Thinking mans punkrock an oxymoron.
10.We're miserable so it must be meaningful.


Patti said...

Ha - thinking about this - 10 must be The Smiths and/or Morrisey.

Steve T said...

Yip. Hope you're well Patti.

Steve T said...

Topical Top Ten Jazz-Funk Acts.

1. Crusaders.
2. Donald Byrd.
3. George Benson.
4. Grover Washington Jnr.
5. Ramsey Lewis.
6. Ronnie Laws.
7. Eddie Henderson.
8. Herbie Hancock.
9. Roy Ayers.
10.Bob James.

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