Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

Fri 26: ???

Sat 27: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 27: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Jason Holcomb & co.

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00., £7.00. adv.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 31: Lil Miss Mary & the Mr Rights Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. ‘Early NYE Bash’. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues.
Wed 31: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. ‘Midnight in Manhattan’ NYE party. £49.46 (inc. bf) & £29.38 (inc. bf).

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

Monday, March 29, 2021

Ten north east greats. 1 - Jack Brymer

Now that The Tens have started to take off, I thought I'd post one remembering those north east musicians who have left us, albeit not before leaving their mark on the national/international scene. However, by the time I got to number 6 it soon became apparent that this was going to be twice as long as War and Peace or half as long as a Steve T comment (only joking Steve!) So, I decided instead to post just one per day and this is the first one.

Jack Brymer (1915 - 2003). Born in South Shields, Brymer is best remembered as probably the leading classical clarinetist of his generation. However, he was also a jazzman at heart and occasionally on stage. 

I first heard him on a demo record put out by Boosey and Hawkes promoting their, at the time, revolutionary plastic Regent clarinet in which, apart from some Mozart, he rattles off a few tasty Benny Goodman licks.  

In his autobiography, Where I Sit, he recalls dining at the Hi-Hat Club in Boston and meeting Wardell Gray, Buddy de Franco and other famous jazzmen - he grabbed their autographs on a club menu - that must be a collector's item if it is still in existence today. 

In New Orleans he jammed with Alphonse Picou and Papa Celestin and the book also has a photo of him blowing alongside Hank Shaw, Don Rendell, Ike Isaacs and John Dankworth. On top of all this there are many memories of him working with Sir Thomas Beecham.

The boy done good! Lance

at

1 comment :

Cormac Loane said...

Around about 1972, I visited the King's Hall at Newcastle University to hear Jack Brymer giving a beautiful performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, accompanied by the New Tyneside Orchestra. During the opening tutti section of the first movement - before the clarinet's first entry - Jack could be seen giving little waves to friends of his as he recognised them in the audience. It all felt very affable and informal - more like a Geordie jazz gig than a symphony orchestra concert!

A couple of years later, when I was a student at Goldsmiths' College, London, I was nearly lucky enough to jam alongside Jack. The Goldsmiths' Music Society invited him to be the guest speaker at their annual dinner (partly because Goldsmiths' was where Jack himself had trained as a teacher in the 1930s). After we'd finished eating, Jack told endless, hilarious anecdotes about his world tours with André Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra, etc. And then, whilst I was playing a set with the college jazz band to round off the evening, he kindly walked over to compliment us on our playing - we invited him to join in, but sadly he had left his clarinet at home!

Thursday, April 01, 2021 1:48:00 pm

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive