Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Jammin' @ the Black Swan - Jan. 25

Murray Wankling (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); King David Ike-Elechi (drums) + Jeremy McMurray (piano); Jacob Egglestone, Adam Sams, Joe Steels (guitar); Steve Picking, John Pope (bass); Stan Woodward (bass guitar); Michael Mather, Bailey Rudd (drums); Nick Gould (tenor sax); Esther Coombes (alto sax/clarinet); Jan Spencelayh, Kit Giroux, Patrick Cromb (vocals). 

For all we know there may have been others! The on stage permutations were so many and so varied I stopped keeping score. Suffice to see they all did their own thing and no one fell flat on their er, face.

They came down from Edinburgh, up from Yorkshire, across from Cullercoats - truly an international gathering.

Numbers played included Blue Bossa and I Wish I Knew How it Felt to be Free by the trio. 'S Wonderful (Jeremy); Black Coffee, Get Happy, At Last (Jan); Stella by Starlight, Tenor Madness, Body and Soul (Nick); That Old Feeling, Autumn Leaves (Patrick); It Don't Mean a Thing, Misty (Kit); Mr PC (Pope, Sams) and more - much more.

Special mention of Esther (pictured above) who, after a hesitant start, grew in confidence and even took on the power players on All Blues - on clarinet!

The three guitarists all impressed as did John Pope (natch!) and Steve, this week playing upright bass as opposed to his usual fretless electric bass. I could go on and on but instead I'll leave it to Nick Gould who followed in the hoofprints of  Robert the Bruce on Facebook - the Bannockburn of today - to add his thoughts - Lance

5 comments :

Nick Gould said...

Good fun! Great to see everyone!

Ann Alex said...

Nick, what a great video from the night on Facebook. Catches the atmosphere well!

Nick Gould said...

Thanks very much Ann! Come along to the Globe on 13th Feb (Sunday) if you are not busy. I am delighted to be playing there with JazzMain

Anonymous said...


a very good jam session, great to see so many musicians who came from afar, it has to be said that Nick Gould was superb, I love the way he brings the younger musicians into play, I look forward to feb 13 at the globe where Nicks group JAZZ MAIN will be playing, a great birthday present for me.

BRIAN SHINE

Nick Gould said...

Thank you for your kind words Brian. I am really looking forward to being at the Globe on the 13th with JazzMain. We love coming to Newcastle.

Tuesday was good, so great to see young people who have not been subverted by video games

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