Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 925 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 30) 104.

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

October.

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 03: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest tba
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ 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: An Evening of Erykah Badu @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Fri 06: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 1/3.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Jazz Night: Bridget Metcalfe @ Saltburn House Hotel. From 6:00pm. Tickets: £40.00 (inc. a two-course meal & glass of Prosecco). Tel: 01287 658977.

Friday, August 13, 2021

Preview: Newcastle Jazz Festival (Saturday 14)

Day two of this year's Newcastle Jazz Festival features a jazz vocalist, a blues shouter, guitarists contemporary and Manouche, and a charismatic Yorkshireman blowing up a storm in a trombone-organ-drums trio. Tyne Bank Brewery on Walker Road to the east of the city centre is a big barn of a place, the ideal place to practice your social distancing skills.*  

Alice Grace opens the day's programme at 1:30pm in the company of guitarist Pawel 'Pav' Jedrzejewski playing original material with perhaps a couple of GASbook numbers for good measure. Birmingham Conservatoire graduate guitarist Francis Tulip brings in his  quartet to play a post-bop session. County Durham based Francis will be working with pianist Tuoyo Awala (friends from their student days), Archipelago's bass man John Pope and drummer John Bradford. At 3:50pm (that's about three beers in) Mick Shoulder will tip his hat to Django et al with Swing Manouche - Mick (pictured) and Giles Strong (guitars), Paul Grainger on string bass duties, and the revitalised Gavin Lee on reeds (Gavin was in scintillating form last weekend with Rendezvous Jazz).

JASMINE Quintet is Jasmine Whalley's Leeds based outfit playing a set of original material. This Jazz North Northern Line gig features saxophonist Whalley alongside Ben Haskins, guitar, George MacDonald, keyboards, bassist Owen Burns and drummer George Hall. 

The penultimate session, but in effect the day's headline act, is Dennis Rollins' supercharged Velocity Trio featuring the amazing Ross Stanley at the organ, and the equally amazing drummer, Pedro Segundo. Dennis, from Doncaster, is an inspirational character and, if dancing is permitted, the audience will be up on its feet. Closing out the second day will be Tyneside's Empress of the Blues, Mo Scott. No one belts out the blues like Mo. Pint sized but with a killer punch, Mo always brings in a killer of a band.

* Here's the thing...Saturday is SOLD OUT! In the event of returns, keep on checking the festival website at: www.newcastlejazzfestival.co.uk. All is not lost, some tickets are available for Sunday, the third and final day of the festival. Book now or risk missing out! Russell        

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