Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 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

Friday, April 30, 2021

International Jazz Day - Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

(Press release)

Hi, I’m in the 12th Century Cathedral of St. Giles, in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland, and just presented JAZZ to 10,000 Scottish primary school kids at 10:00 AM today on International Jazz Day, and as part of Scotland's first Assembly.

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra are also filming tonight a fantastic symbiotic collaboration called WHERE RIVERS MEET with visual artist Maria Rud which will be released on May 12.

I’d like to welcome all of you to our celebration of International Jazz Day, where people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, and beliefs join forces and prove, without a doubt, that our similarities are more powerful than our differences.

Jazz is about freedom and will always be about freedom, freedom to expand, freedom to explore and to encourage and courage. Jazz keeps you evolving with its ever-evolving nature.

We give our heartfelt thanks and send our love to health workers worldwide for saving lives, working tirelessly day in day out.

And our most profound appreciation and gratitude to our heroes, the essential workers, putting their lives on the front line for total strangers due to the Coronavirus pandemic encircling our globe.

This year we’re still unable to perform live, but our hearts and gratefulness go out to everyone who continues to support the SNJO.

Below is a link to an extract from our 25th Anniversary concert from Perth Concert Hall. 

https://youtu.be/vxA_5-fgXB4

On behalf of the SNJO, I would like to send a message for peace and goodwill to all the nations around the world celebrating the gift of music and International Jazz Day.

Tommy Smith

SCOTTISH NATIONAL JAZZ ORCHESTRA

‘If I Were A Bell’ by Frank Loesser

arranged by Kieran McLeod

Saxophones: Martin Kershaw, Paul Towndrow, Tommy Smith, Konrad Wisniewski, Bill Fleming Trumpets: Jim Davison, Sean Gibbs, Tom MacNiven, Lorne Cowieson Trombones: Kieran McLeod, Liam Shortall, Anoushka Nanguy, Michael Owers Piano: Pete Johnstone Acoustic Bass: Calum Gourlay Drums: Alyn Cosker

Recorded Live on 5th December 2020 Perth Concert Hall

Stage Manager Ashley Holland Live

Sound Engineer Mark McKellen

Assistant Engineer Mark Renfrew

Live Lighting Technician Rebekah Pattison

Live Video Mixing: John Pike Video

Photography: Derek Clark & Perthshire Sound & Light

SNJO Manager Lindsay Robertson

SNJO Artist Director Tommy Smith

Supported by Creative Scotland

www.snjo.co.uk

 

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