Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: 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 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wednesday, December 01, 2021

SK2 Jazz Orchestra @ Whelley Ex-Servicemen's Club, Wigan - Sept. 26

(Photo from 2016 Wigan Jazz
Fest courtesy of Dave Tyas)
A powerful and impressive afternoon of big band jazz prevailed on September 26  at Whelley Ex-Servicemens Club in Wigan. The capacity crowd enjoyed the SK2 Jazz Orchestra led by drummer Dave Tyas. This 20-strong (boasting 6 trumpets and 5 trombones) juggernaut provided a wondrous mix of four decades worth of Stan Kenton selections. The work of writers like Bill Holman, Johnny Richards, Bill Russo, Pete Rugolo, Hank Levy and Mark Taylor were heard. 

Highlights for this listener included Holman's treatment of Jerome Kern's Yesterdays featuring the impassioned yet measured tenor sax of Rick Halliwell. Trombonist, Lee Hallam's fleet linearity on Bill Russo's Frank Speaking (for Frank Rosolino) also scored highly. The haunting harmonies and rhythmic dynamism of Hank Levy's Chiapas resonated early in the second set. This opened a pathway for more Latin American flavoured pieces to follow. Excerpts from Mexican born jazz composer, Johnny Richards' iconic Cuban Fire Suite as well as songs from  Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story - I Feel Pretty and America.

The sheer number of blowers onstage prevents one from citing  the numerous protagonists soloing. The fluid trumpet improvisations of Tom Sharp and Steve Valentine, Lee Hallam's trombone as well as saxophonists,  Rick Halliwell, Munch Manship and Rod Mason all contributed impressively. Also, the mellifluous flugelhorn of Albert Mike Atkinson came to the fore on Body and Soul, arranged by Herb Phillips. It was originally penned  for Bobby Shew and Atkinson's lyrical delivery made it his own.

The  jazz orchestra began in 1983 - known then as the Shades of Kenton Jazz Orchestra. Original drummer, Dave Tyas, took the helm in 2013 and the SK2 has moved from strength to strength since. Thanks also to the good offices of Ian Darrington and his fine crew of soldiers of Sunday Jazz in Wigan who have done such a fine job with the monthly gigs at the Whelley Club as well as the annual Wigan Jazz Festival which will be held on 8-10 July 2022. For more information on upcoming events, logon to www.musiccontinuum.co.uk.

Frank Griffith's weekly radio show "The Jazz Cavern" can be heard on www.mykindamusic24.com on Thursday's at 9PM. UK time.

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