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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Wednesday, February 09, 2022

While the Big Cat's away Black Swan jam session - Feb. 8

Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); Rob Walker (drums) + Kit Giroux (vocals); David Gray (trombone); Murray Wankling (piano); Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Keith Tulip (bass guitar); Mark Taylor (drums); Will Pease (drums); Freddie Krone (drums)

The Big Cat, Mr PG, jam session supremo Paul Grainger was away gigging, so what could possibly go wrong? Well, nothing really except for the extra traffic in Newcastle city centre due to Newcastle United hosting Everton (52,000 spectators) and an ageing popstar entertaining 10,000 fans at the Arena resulting in parking spaces being at a premium. Bassist Andy Champion dropped off his instrument then set off looking for a parking space. Several laps of the city centre later, our man eventually nabbed the sole remaining spot seemingly for miles around. 

Guitarist Mark Williams acting as MC, Champion and drummer Rob Walker offering support, the house trio warmed up with three dead cert numbers - April in Paris, You Stepped Out of a Dream and Beautiful Love. Several of the student sitters-in were hearing the trio for the first time, it's fair to say they were gob-smacked at the level of musicianship! If nothing else, Newcastle University student Kit Giroux is keen as mustard and during the evening sang a few numbers: Black Coffee, I Got Rhythm, Água de Beber (in Portuguese) and Ain't Misbehavin'. 

An oddity of some of the recent Black Swan jam sessions has been the lack of horn players. One man who can be relied upon is trombonist David Gray. 'Showtime', as he's affectionately known, is always great value, a great player is DG (Beatrice, On the Sunny Side of the Street and more). Keith Tulip showed up and put up on Red Clay, pianist Murray Wankling dropped by, a real asset is Murray, and as the evening unfolded the university boys (no girls this week) stepped up. Guitarist Jacob Egglestone spelled MC Williams and remained on the stand for the remainder of the evening, a most impressive session from JE. Three drummers, two from Newcastle (Mark Taylor and Will Pease), one from Durham (Freddie Krone) were on and off the stand all evening. Krone made the trip from Durham to check out the Black Swan session. He said he'd be back with some of his fellow Durham University Jazz Society pals. We look forward to hearing them.          

The next Black Swan session is set for Tuesday 22. It promises to be something special with a first ever joint promotion with NUJO (Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra) and EUJO (Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra). The main performance space in the Black Swan basement will be pressed into action for the occasion. If some of the Durham boys and girls turn up it has the makings of an 'I was there occasion'! Russell
 
Set list: April in Paris; You Stepped Out of a Dream; Beautiful Love; Black Coffee; I Got Rhythm; Interplay; All the Things You Are; Água de Beber; Beatrice; On the Sunny Side of the Street; Night in Tunisia; Red Clay; Summertime; Ain't Misbehavin'; Blue Monk.  
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