Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

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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