Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Beryl Bryden in Saltburn

On a recent visit to Saltburn Arts to catch the second of Joe Webb's two 'Art of Tatum' gigs in a day, your correspondent was alerted to an exhibition of drawings by Beryl Bryden in Saltburn Arts' bar. What's that? Beryl Bryden, skiffle era washboard ace, a visual artist? It seems few, if any, of those present were aware of Bryden's accomplishments as a portrait artist. 

Bryden's drawings on show in Saltburn are of some of the biggest names in jazz and blues. Something like twenty framed works occupy the walls of the bar and in the corridor leading to the venue's theatre space. Bryden's subjects range from George Lewis to Clarence Williams to Bessie Smith and Ella Fitzgerald. The photo shows Billie Holiday and Coleman Hawkins. 

So, how did Saltburn Arts acquire Bryden's portraits?

It's all down to one of Saltburn Arts' regular supporters inheriting the collection - quite how the family member came by them isn't entirely clear! - and subsequently gifting the works to one of Saltburn Jazz Club's long serving organisers. And here they are, on show in Saltburn! The exhibition runs for a little while yet. If you're tempted to visit Saltburn to view the exhibition it would be advisable to telephone ahead to confirm the opening hours - 01287 284025. 


As luck would have it, less than forty eight hours after the trip to Saltburn your correspondent was in London. So, with a couple of hours to kill before heading to Ronnie Scott's, it seemed like a good idea to catch an underground train to Paddington to find - and discreetly photograph - the house in which Beryl Bryden lived for a number of years. The photos show 166 Gloucester Terrace and the street sign, all of two minutes' walk from Paddington Station. Imagine how many British, possibly American, musicians called round for a cuppa! 

The photo of Beryl Bryden was taken at the 1982 Breda Jazz Festival by BSH Editor-in-Chief, LL. Russell

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2 comments :

Lance said...

This exhibition should be toured. It's of historical interest as a reminder that. Ottilie notwithstanding, Beryl was arguably the best female jazz/blues singer of her era. I well remember that open air 1982 session in Breda. I think Beryl was there on spec as her name doesn't appear on the programme but she appeared with several bands and, at the time of the photo, was singing West End Blues with the Guy Lafitte Quartet (I made notes on the programme!)
This was, I think, the year when the River City Jazzmen were top band and Stan Martin clicked for the Best Instrumentalist gong.
Beryl would have been 100 in May 2020. She should have been remembered.
As a whimsical, totally irreverent (and irrelevant) thought - if Beryl had been, like all the legendary blues singers, without a nickel or a lousy dime she could have always taken in washing!
The greatest - Saltburn must be the envy of the Trad Wing of the UK jazz scene!

Thursday, August 26, 2021 10:24:00 pm
Ashington Jazz Club said...

https://lance-bebopspokenhere.blogspot.com/2016/02/rip-tony-raine.html

Sunday, August 29, 2021 7:45:00 pm

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