Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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, July 16, 2021

LIVE JAZZ AND BLUES IS BACK – RIGHT NOW! - in Birmingham...

(Press release)

From Friday 16th July, every day until Sunday 1st August the Birmingham region will once again become the centre of jazz and blues interest with 136 performances, 129 of them free admission, featuring 203 musicians in 52 bands appearing in 63 venues throughout Birmingham, Sandwell, Sutton Coldfield and Solihull as well as shows in Dudley and Redditch.

The 37th Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival features Dixieland, Bebop, Modern Jazz, Swing, Rhythm & Blues – and there’s more.

Everyone, experienced or not, is invited to attend the Jitterbug and Charleston dance lessons, Ukulele and Harmonica Workshops, to join the Festival Sketch Crawl or to get involved in the photography – and that’s all free as well.

Performances will pop up in pubs, cafes, museums, libraries, hotels, public squares, markets, parks, shopping centres, restaurants – just about everywhere.

Bands and music lovers from throughout the UK will join local fans for the UK’s biggest and best free jazz party.

The printed free festival programme is available from all festival venues as well as from The Festival Information Centre at The Bulls Head on Bishopsgate Street, off Broad Street in Birmingham – or by contacting the festival office by telephone on 0121 454 7020 or by email admin@bigbearmusic.com

The electronic version can be downloaded from here.

Footnote:

The festival is proud to remind folk that The Birmingham, Sandwell & Westside Jazz Festival was the only festival to take place in 2020 in this region

Programme.

For further information, contact Festival Director Jim Simpson on jim@bigbearmusic.com or 0121 454 7020 / 07940578568

Click here for the festival photo film.

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