June
Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £17.00. Trio from Texas, USA.
Thu 04: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues excellence!
Thu 04: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05-Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne. Screenings TBC.
Fri 05: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: House of the Black Gardenia: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). House of the Black Gardenia evening performance. Day 1/3.
Fri 05: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band + IKS Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.00. Big band double bill. IKS Big Band (Germany).
Fri 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 06: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00.
Sat 06: IKS Big Band: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). IKS Big Band evening performance. Day 2/3.
Sat 06: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Northumbrian Revival, West Benridge Farm, nr. Morpeth NE61 3RZ. 7:30-9:30pm. £21.47 (£2.77. child). 82nd D-Day anniversary event.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 06: FILM: The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 9:30pm. £7.00., £5.00. Dir. Guillaume Maupin & Pablo Guarise.
Sun 07: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Steve Walker (trumpet).
Sun 07: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Trio: Joe Steels, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Eddie Gripper Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Magpies of Swing: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). Magpies of Swing afternoon performance. Day 3/3.
Sun 07: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 7:00pm. £12.50. Trio from Texas, USA.
Sun 07: Salty Dog @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm. £5.00. Performance in the Studio venue.
Sun 07: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Riding Mill Village Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 07: Swing Manouche @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Feat. Steve McGarvie (clarinet).
Mon 08: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 08: Dave Bristow Quintet @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00., £11.00., £5.50. Bristow (piano); Christian Altehülshorst (trumpet); Félix Hardouin (alto sax); Gabriel Pierre (double bass); Guillaume Prévost (drums).
12 comments :
I trained as a Cobol Programmer in 1980 at DHSS as it was vaguely recall Brian Chester but certainly remember Peter who did some of my induction training great guy . At the time I wasn't really aware he was in a band until the very last day and he left us to finish up whilst he was off to travel to a gig .
Great memories, Gordon! I think this must have been before we moved back to Newcastle in 1982. I do remember Peter G from the Lonsdale, though - and how about that trip to Breda in 1984 or 1985, when the River City won that fantastic prize! It was a long coach ride, I remember!
Peter Gascoigne and myself (Roy Willis) continued to play at the Corner House and were joined by other well-established north-east musicians and further trips to Breda were successfully made.
I remember the Corner House weekly Saratoga sessions with great fondness. Usually a full room and a great atmosphere. Happy Days.
Roly, I remember looking forward to you playing banjo/guitar with the band on the occasions when you helped out. You were much appreciated by the audience. As you say, Happy Days.
I hate to start a comment with "actually", but actually the Saratoga Jazzmen started in or around 1972 in the upstairs room at Bambra's Music Hall in the Bigg Market. Barry Soulsby did start it - he was playing clarinet with the Vieux Carre at that time, so he got Gassy in on trumpet and Brian Chester on Trombone from the VC. Johnny Handle either played piano or just sat in - the one I recall best was Bert Lamb. An old banjo player from the '20's called Sam Warwick played for a while, too. Can't remember bass and drums but could have been Wheatley and Marshall Walker. Brian had to do fortnightly shifts at the Ministry of Pensions, so they got me in to fill the trombone chair once a fortnight on tenor - probably because I was depping for Barry with the VC anyway, and in fact I took over from him in 1973 with that band. I think the band faded away after that residency finished until the late '70's when Barry revived it, as Gordon said. Barry got Gassy in again, who was at a bit of a loose end because the VC were not playing much by then, and Gassy took it over after Barry left. It was at this time that the band started playing at the Corner House (of happy memory). I also think that The Saratoga won Breda in 1981, not '82, because that was the year the Savannah Syncopators - the first Newcastle band to play at Breda Jazz Festival - came fourth. We were devastated and it wasn't made easier by the fact that we were sharing the 'bus home with an exultant (rightly so!) Saratoga!
I bet those on the bus trip home were a little pie-eyed! Incidentally, Bambra's is currently undergoing major renovation work. Watch this space...
Hi Steve, and yes, I'm sure you're correct with the details, I'm older than you and the memory plays tricks. You've jogged my memory however, and I recall depping with the band at Bambra's but with Harry Stevenson on clarinet. I also remember actor Ian Hendry, who was appearing at the Theatre Royal, bursting into the room in a very drunken state, grabbing the microphone and singing The Saints while we were playing Black and Blue!
Ian Hendry used to also show up at the NBB gigs at the University Theatre when he was in town.
I've still got the Breda programmes from 1981 and 1982, The 1982 one has autographs from Guy Lafitte, Bob Wilber and Warren Vaché. I'll have to get Gordon, Steve and Roy to belatedly sign it!
"Bambra's" should read "Balmbra's" - just saying...
I've just looked at the cup the Sav. Syncs won for 3rd place in the Breda Jazz Concours, and it says 1979 on it, so 1980 must surely have been the year the Saratoga won - we got 4th that year! Memory playing tricks.....Dave Kerr will be able to confirm, he was the only one who was sober(ish)! I know we only played there in 1979 and '80 (3rd & 4th prize respectively, so we quit while we were ahead!). The next year I didn't play, but met my wife Ans there and we've been together nearly 39 years now!
Looking at the 1981 programme it does refer to The Saratoga Jazzmen as being winners the previous year so 1980 was indeed the year they won.
I recall one year that Stan Martin won the Outstanding Soloist prize.
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