Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
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: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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, December 20, 2021

Trefor Owen Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Dec. 19

Trefor Owen, Andy Hulme (guitars); Liam Byrne (tenor, sop sax); Ed Harrison (bass).

The journey from my home to the Railway is pretty straight forward and usually takes about fifteen minutes but due to very foggy conditions I got lost a couple of times and missed a turning but eventually got there.


This no doubt deterred some of the regulars from attending as the turnout was well down on what it usually is on a Sunday night. However, the band had arrived early and the gig started on time at 9pm.


The two guitar team of Trefor Owen and Andy Hulme have been working together for many years both in the UK and abroad and have developed a rare rapport with each other. As they do not use a drummer a lot depends on having an emphatic bass player and who better than the great Ed Harrison. He never puts a foot wrong.


Also on board was another musician who is perfect for this type of unit, Liam Byrne who on this occasion played mainly tenor sax although he did get a great sound out of a curly soprano on one number.


A dozen tunes were played, mostly standards plus the occasional bossa and a Wes Montgomery original. If I was asked what tune I liked best I would pick out the Wes Montgomery tune Road Song as the quartet seemed to give this a very spirited reading. Also it’s a very catchy theme. Another one was How About You? which had a rather intricate arrangement, perhaps by George Shearing.


The next gig at The Railway is on Tuesday Dec. 21 with the Derrick Harris Trio - Mike Farmer.

 

Black Orpheus; I Thought About You. Dreamsville; How About You?; Once I Loved; Alone Together; Road Song; East Of The Sun; On A Clear Day; But Beautiful; Witchcraft; How Insensitive.

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