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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 2025).

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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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

Monday, September 20, 2021

Update on the Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society by Neil Todd

GJAS was formed early 1981 and this year is our 40th anniversary. Last August several of the committee discussed how we would celebrate the event and I have to say our plans looked quite exciting. Who would have guessed last August that we are still to some extent affected by Covid? Unfortunately our plans are on hold, so we will probably (hopefully) see a few things materialising in 2022.

GJAS hold (or should I say held?) their meetings every 2 weeks on a Thursday at Gateshead Library with our last meeting being held in early March 2020, thanks to Covid. Early last year I was elected Chairman and at the same time I also became Treasurer. Three years ago I started a Facebook page and a Twitter account for the society, which hopefully helps us to raise the profile of the Society. We are just approaching 2,500 followers on Twitter and some of the followers quite often re-tweet the tweets I post. I also use these two forms of social media to support our local musicians and their gigs wherever and whenever I get the opportunity. I was speaking to Richard Davies at the Globe last night and he asked if I could mention their gigs which I am pleased to do.

 

When I became Chairman last year one of my objectives was to increase our membership, but of course those plans are on hold as well. Unfortunately, two of our members have passed away this past year so increasing membership is a priority of mine, if we are to keep GJAS now and for the future.

 

As already mentioned, our last meeting at Gateshead Library was early last year so just after Christmas I suggested we run an online meeting which started in January this year and this has been a weekly event which we hold on a Thursday where members and guests join from 1:15pm for a 1:30 start. Not all members have been able to attend as some find technology a bit of a challenge, but those who do join in do enjoy it. 


We have some chat and play music of our choice. At the moment we use TEAMS which has replaced Skype. It is free and very easy to use. I set up a meeting and save it to the electronic calendar and then I email members with the link for the meeting. As members/guests request to join the meeting I admit them and we are then ready to start. Alan Barnes very kindly agreed to join one of our meetings a few weeks ago (see one of my attachments). I was very grateful to Alan as he stayed with us for 90 minutes sharing some interesting stories as well as playing some music.

 

Anyone interested in joining our online meetings please let me know - you will be more than welcome. Anyone who would like further details should email me at the GJAS email which is   GJAS1981@outlook.comNeil Todd

1 comment :

Lance said...

Thanks for that Neil. It was good to meet up with you last night at a great gig and to know that, despite the struggles with adversity that we are all facing the society is going from strength to strength.
Back in the 1990s, my dear friend - the late Margaret Barnes - asked me to do a talk about Art Pepper which I duly did and, despite upsetting the lectern and scattering my notes to the four corners of the room (Caedmon Hall was rather close to what was then, the Springfield Hotel)it, nevertheless seemed to go down well although when I played Art's version of Alfie with the Buddy Rich Band one listener did remark that it was almost as good as Cilla Black's!
I still have a typewritten transcript - somehere...

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