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).
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.

Friday, December 03, 2021

Press release: The Jazz Promotion Network appoints Eleanor Ward as Network Development Director

Six new trustees join the JPN board

The Jazz Promotion Network (JPN), the only UK and Ireland-wide network of jazz industry professionals has appointed Eleanor Ward in a senior strategic position as the organisation embarks on an exciting period of change. 

Joining the charity as Network Development Director, she will lead on a sectoral consultation project, develop new activity plans and oversee major funding bids to help shape the future direction of JPN. 

Eleanor is the former Executive Director of the charity Nonclassical, a small but influential contemporary classical music promoter and record label based in East London.

She has also worked in arts funding for Arts Council England and PRS Foundation, as Programme Manager for music education charity Sound Connections and as Festival Producer for Field Day and Spitalfields Music Festival. She is co-founder and Project Director of Street Orchestra Live and works a freelance music consultant and creative producer for a range of artists and music organisations.

In addition, Eleanor is a trustee for Good Vibrations, a charity that supports prisoners and ex-prisoners, patients in secure hospitals and other vulnerable members of the community through communal music-making projects. 

Outgoing JPN Chair Steve Mead said: “We’re delighted that Eleanor has joined the JPN team as Network Development Director to help lead cross-sector consultations and develop a fundraising strategy that will inform our activities for the next business plan period. 

“El’s vast experience in leading similar networks, working for funding bodies and consulting for a wide range of music organisations of varying scales will be invaluable for JPN – as will her vibrant enthusiasm and passion for jazz. Welcome to JPN!”     

Network Development Director Eleanor Ward added:I’m really excited to be joining JPN as Network Development Director at this exciting time of reopening and revival for the sector. The role brings together my love of jazz and what is at the heart of my work - supporting and developing artists and organisations. 

“I look forward to working strategically with the Board, the wider membership of JPN and everyone involved in the promotion of jazz across the UK and Ireland.”

Eleanor’s appointment also comes with several new additions to the JPN board. 

Elected at the 2021 JPN AGM in November, seven new trustees have joined award-winning musician, composer and educator Orphy Robinson, Roger Wilson (Black Lives In Music), Penny King (Royal Welsh College of Music and Dance) and Barney Stevenson (Marsden Jazz Festival). 

The latest additions to the JPN team are JPN co-founder Nod Knowles, former Head of Programming at Edinburgh International Jazz Festival Agnese Daverio, The Jazz Centre UK’s Mark Kass, Programme Manager at Jazz North Heather Spencer, radio host Peter Slavid and musician, promoter and educator Keith Michael

The current Vice-Chair of the JPN Board and former Performance Programme Director for Sage Gateshead, Ros Rigby has also been re-elected as a trustee. 

For more information about JPN’s new trustees, please visit here

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