Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18721 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 585 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 18) 49

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

July

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Bright Street Big Band @ Sandhaven Amphitheatre, South Shields. 3.30-5.30pm.
Sun 26: Jo Harrop & Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.
Sun 26: King Bees @ Luckies, Jesmond, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: Liam & Shayo @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Liam Oliver (guitar), Shayo Oshodi (vocals).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ 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: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ Music Dept., Durham University. 9:15pm. A Durham Fringe Festival event

Thu 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 30: 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 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 31: Milne Glendinning Band @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00-9:00pm. £6.00. A Berwick Fringe Festival event. £6.00 (£6.00 wristband access to all Fringe events).

August

Sat 01: Jazz Weekend workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am. £95.00. Tutors: Nel Begley & Paul Edis: Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop. Day 1/2.
Sat 01: Jim Wright’s Rhythm Deluxe @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 01: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Milne Glendinning Band @ Leonard’s Coffee House, Durham. 6:20pm. £7.00. A Durham Fringe Festival. 1/2.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: The Swing Commanders @ The Amphitheatre, Stockton. 9:00-10:30pm. Free. Stockton International Riverside Festival.

Monday, January 03, 2022

Mike Hall Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Jan. 2

Mike Hall (tenor/sop sax); Richard Weatherall (piano); Ed Harrison (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums)

After spending Xmas in Brighton visiting family I was back home ready to face the new year by hearing some live jazz at my favourite jazz spot the Railway which on the first Sunday of 2022 featured Mike Hall and his excellent quartet. Mike opened with the Jules Styne composition Time After Time which always makes me think of Chet Baker's version on the Jazz Icons DVD.  He followed this with a tune that Mike in his introduction mentioned that it was the last tune that Jerome Kern wrote the title being Nobody Else But Me . Can’t say I’ve heard this before but I’m sure Mike will add this to his repertoire.


It’s always good to see the house upright piano being utilised and in the hands of Richard Weatherall there is no one better suited to play it in this unit. His solos are creative and ably assisted by the great Ed Harrison on bass and local drum legend  Eryl Roberts.

Included in the dozen tunes played tonight were some originals by the likes of Kenny Barron, Monk, Mingus, Paul Gonsalves, and Kenny Wheeler, plus standards and an uptempo bossa  nova. The ones that impressed me most were the Tadd Dameron number If You Could See me Now which had Mike using a softer approach than usual and also Invitation a tune that the late Joe Henderson liked to play a lot and which was written by Bronislaw Kapers who also composed On Green Dolphin Street.

The next jazz gig at the Railway is tomorrow Jan. 4 with guitarist Steve Oakes and his Band. Mike Farmer

Time After Time; Nobody Else But Me; Hard Groove; Song For Abdullah; Invitation; If You Could See me Now; I Mean You; Groove Merchant; Everybody's Song But My Own; On A Clear Day; No More Blues; Nostalgia In Times Square,

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