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

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).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 17: Homer’s Lane + John Garner & John Pope @ St John’s Church, Riding Mill. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. Gabriele Heller’s audio play + Garner & Pope.
Sat 17: Martyn Roper @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. Roper’s ‘One Man Blues Band’.
Sat 17: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Alexia Gardner Trio @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). Gardner, Alan Law & Jude Murphy.

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

Sunday, July 03, 2022

The House of the Black Gardenia @ The Blues, Jazz & Swing Festival. The Exchange, North Shields - July 2

(© The Exchange)
Elise Rana (vocals/washboard); Graham Hardy (trumpet); David Gray (trombone); Jim McBriarty (tenor, alto sax/clarinet); Katja Roberts (violin); Elliott Rush (piano); Michael Littlefield (guitar/ banjo/vocals); Neil Hopper (bass/sousaphone); Kit Haigh (drums).

King Bees pulled out at the eleventh hour so in stepped the House of the Black Gardenia who themselves had to shuffle the pack with Hardy and McBriarty occupying the trumpet and sax chairs. Rana, after apologising for King Bees' absence, announced that they did have in actual fact two members of KB in the band. Littlefield we knew was one but who was the other. By a process of elimination, I presume that either Rush or Haigh weren't there. Help please.*

The evening began with a taster session by Swing Tyne for wannabe swing dancers and I was impressed at how quickly most of them picked it up - I should have taken part myself!

(© The Exchange)

The band stuck to their tried and tested formula with vocals from Rana and Littlefield and 'hot' solos from the horns. On Viper Mad McBriarty's fine clarinet solo laid down the benchmark and it was as high I would expect given the tune's title. Trumpet and trombone were up to the mark as they inevitably always are. 

After Double Rations Littlefield sang I Can't Take it no Longer adding some bluesy guitar for good measure. Sorry You're Gone had Rana on washboard and a solid sousa solo from Hopper.

And so it continued with I See the Light (J.McB on tenor); Handy Man (ML vocal) and finishing off with One in a Million and Ghosts. Excellent!

(© The Exchange)
Earlier, I enjoyed seeing the film Geordie Jazz Man once again. It always raises a laugh and a tear when I remember the legend that was Keith Crombie.

Before that there were several blues/soul bands with the most impressive one being The Commandments who were well committed to the idiom.

The Festival concludes this afternoon with Ruth Lambert & Martin Craggs (1:30); Abbie Finn Trio (3:00); Wild Women of Wylam (4:30); 4B (5:30); Jazz Jam (6:30).

The above times are flexible so get there well in advance! Lance

*The smart money is on it being Giles Holt on drums in place of Haigh.

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