Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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.

Mon 05: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
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: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Monday, November 01, 2021

Jazz in the Afternoon @ The Crescent Club, Cullercoats - Nov. 1

Herbie Hudson (trombone, harmonica, vocals); Brian Chester (keyboards); Dave Percy (bass guitar); Gordon ? (drums) + Brian Lynam (harmonica, vocals); John Broddle (vocals); Miles Watson (trumpet, vocals); Harry Stephenson (clarinet); Marilyn Hunter (vocals)

A good crowd in today down at the coast. The Crescent Club's regular Monday session appears to be regaining its large following and today the band's guests offered variety, both jazz and blues. Everything was set fair, wait a minute...the hand pulls on the bar weren't working properly. What's going on?! Hmmm, a bottle of Brown the best of the rest. Front man Herbie Hudson got things going with Some of These Days. From here on in it would be a non-stop parade of familiar, if not hackneyed tunes, mixed in with some lesser played numbers and guest performers. 


John Broddle the first of the guests, singing If I Had You and I Can't Give You Anything but Love. Always good value is John. Question: Back in the day, did John ever sing with a big band behind him? From crooner to bluesman, in the shape of Scotswood Slim, Mr Brian Lynam*. Our blues harp man has become something of a regular of late. This afternoon, singing and blowing harp unaccompanied, Lynam just about stole the show with a marvellous take on Sonny Boy's Bring it on Home. A while later Marilyn Hunter joined the boys to sing a couple, including a spirited All of Me. Miles Watson sat in, blowing good trumpet and singing a couple for good measure. And to cap off a canny afternoon on Cullercoats Bay, the legend that is Mr Harry Stephenson, clarinet in hand, got up to stir memories of the days when he was one of the top guys on the scene.

* On Friday (Nov 5) Brian and the No Time for Jive boys will be playing the final Blind Pig Blues Club gig before the promoters call it a day. It's an eight o'clock start at Prohibition Bar (upstairs, jar on the bar). The place should be packed out, let's hope they go out with a bang. Russell        

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