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

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: 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 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

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.

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Smalls NYC streaming louder and clearer, 24/7

As the festive season brings about a temporary reduction in the number of live jazz gigs the live stream once again comes into its own. Foremost in the online gig arena is Smalls* on West 10th Street, New York City. Spike Wilner's compact venue has been streaming gigs since 2007, way ahead of the Johnny Come Lately lockdown opposition. Smalls partner venue Mezzrow is also in on the streaming business. Throughout much of lockdown two factors conspired to deter the listener/viewer this side of the Atlantic logging on - the time difference and, 'til now, poor quality audio/visual presentation.       
    

Recently the AV quality has improved to such an extent there is the temptation to sit up late into the early hours to watch at least one of several sets from Smalls and/or Mezzrow. Alternatively, all streams are available to watch at a later, more convenient, time and date on Facebook or YouTube. The following is but a sample of what's on offer over next few days (NB: a set starting at 7:30 EST is half past midnight GMT). 

Dec 25: Javed Gold Trio Smalls (00:30 GMT Dec 26)
Dec 25: Kevin Hayes, Matt Brewer, Bill Stewart Mezzrow (00:30 GMT Dec 26)

Dec 27: Spike Wilner, Peter Washington, Joe Farnsworth Mezzrow (00:30 GMT Dec 28)
Dec 28: Judy Niemack Quartet ft. Peter Bernstein Mezzrow (00:30 GMT Dec 29)
Dec 29: Benny Benack III Quintet + jam session Smalls (03:00 GMT Dec 30)
Dec 31: Johnny O'Neal Mezzrow (02:00 GMT Jan 1)

In the first week of January there is more of the same top quality jazz including performances by Jon Beshay, Ari Hoenig, Falkner Evans and Harry Allen.  

For some reason Smalls goes without an apostrophe!
Russell

3 comments :

Patti said...

The joints will be jumping! Some great jazz sessions to look out for. Plus, didn't gals used to wear 'smalls', without an apostrophe?

Lance said...

Some gals, I'm told, didn't wear smalls with or without an apostrophe unless a thong is the contextual equivalent of an apostrophe.

Patti said...

Don't we all remember the euphemisms - for underwear, and much else!

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