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

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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.

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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