Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: 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 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Sunday, April 04, 2021

The Pasadena Roof Orchestra live streaming from Ronnie's - April 4

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
Duncan Galloway couldn't be at Ronnie's tonight, being stuck in Germany, Covid travel restrictions and all that. In the absence of the Pasadenas' frontman it was down to pianist Simon Townley to handle the announcements. The concert began with a good ol' good 'un, South Rampart St Parade. 

Tom 'Spats' Langham got to sing all the numbers which are normally the preserve of Galloway, so, an extra ration of next to nowt for our classic jazz era crooner! Spats the vocalist joined forces with 'bone man Adrian Fry on I Got a Right to Sing the Blues, Fry soloing. A hot take on Business in F as played by the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra featured Oliver Wilby (Glenn Miller Orchestra UK) blowing a swinging tenor chorus. 

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
From Fletcher Henderson to Al Bowlly of the British dance band era and Spats singing Ray Noble's The Very Thought of You. At this point in the proceedings more than seven hundred were online, on YouTube alone! You Ought to See Sally on Sunday (comp. R. Noble, as sung by A. Bowlly) heard Spats' vocals, Oliver Wilby's warm-toned tenor and precision ensemble playing. It Don't Mean a Thing put string bassist Dave Berry in the spotlight ably supported by his rhythm section buddies.  

The orchestra struck up High Society (Malcolm Baxter, trumpet, Robert Fowler's clarinet)...a cast iron choice! If I Had a Talking Picture of You served as a fitting tribute to the late Keith Nichols who arranged many of the PRO's charts. Well said Mr Townley. And to close - in 'normal times' the dance floor would have filled up in double quick time - Happy Feet. 

(Screenshot collage by Ken Drew)
Professional isn't the word, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra played a memorable gig, and, of course, they were ready with an encore...Nagasaki at what Keith Nichols liked to call 'tempo de tear-arse' which, by tradition, concluded with a few bars of Home in Pasadena.   
Russell

Dave Ford (trumpet); Malcolm Baxter (trumpet); Robert Fowler (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Oliver Wilby (tenor sax, clarinet); Dai Pritchard (alto sax, clarinet); Adrian Fry (trombone); Dave Berry (double bass, sousaphone); Simon Townley (piano); Tom 'Spats' Langham (banjo, guitar, vocals); Dom Sales (drums)

Set list: South Rampart St Parade; I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby; Paddlin' Madelin' Home; Beau Koo Jack; East St Louis Toodle-Oo; Anything Goes; I Got a Right to Sing the Blues; Business in F; The Very Thought of You; The Casa Loma Stomp; You Ought to See Sally on Sunday; It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing; If I Had a Talking Picture of You; A Flower is a Lovesome Thing; Happy Feet; Nagasaki; Home in Pasadena. 
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