Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: 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 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

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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