Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Stedman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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

Saturday, May 01, 2021

Radio Cheltenham and more

Saturday (May 1)

Ahead of this evening's Kansas Smitty's live stream session, Julian Bliss discusses all things clarinet on Radio 3's Inside Music (1:00pm). Classical clarinetist Bliss has been invited to sit-in on tonight's Big Four session, it should be interesting (8:00pm on Kansas Smitty's YouTube channel)! This year's Cheltenham Jazz Festival is of the virtual variety and BBC Radio has scheduled several programmes across the May Day weekend to celebrate it. Julian Joseph presents this afternoon's J to Z (Radio 3, 5:00pm) which includes a set featuring Tim GarlandJason Rebello and Gary Husband paying tribute to Chick Corea. 

Over on Radio 2 at 9:00pm, Radio 2 in Concert offers 'another chance to hear' Randy Crawford from the 2018 Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Corey Mwamba's Freeness (Radio 3, midnight) presents an exclusive new track by Cheltenham participant Cleveland Watkiss and an archive recording of Troyk-estra from 2013. If you're awake in the early hours of Sunday (4:00am!) retune to Radio 2 to catch a repeat of Craig Charles' 2009 documentary Miles Plugs In looking at electric era Miles Davis. Saturday's listening also includes Tom Service introducing a new piece by Jason Yarde for vocalist and ensemble, dedicated to the memory of George Floyd on Radio 3's New Music Show (10:00pm). 

Sunday (May 2)

More from Cheltenham, including, of course, Jazz Record Requests (Radio 3, 4:00pm). Radio 2's Sunday Night is Music Night (7:00pm) is a repeat of a 2017 Cheltenham Jazz Festival concert celebration of soul music. Guy Barker conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Guy Barker Big Band with guest vocalists Shaun EscoffreyTony Momrelle, Ronnie's regular Vanessa Haynes and Noel McKoy. Olympic 1500 metres gold medalist Seb Coe gets a show all to himself - Seb Coe: a Day without Jazz is like a Day without Running - during which you can expect to hear tracks by Armstrong, Basie, Lester Young and others (Radio 2, 9:00pm).  Russell     

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