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

Saturday, July 02, 2022

The Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ The Blues, Jazz & Swing Festival. The Exchange, North Shields - July 1

(© The Exchange)
Niffi Osiyemi (vocals). Alan Law (piano)  Ifede Osiyemi (bass guitar)

This was the first of a whole smorgasbord of music at The Exchange this weekend and what a way to start. The theme of the evening was ‘Speakeasy’ and while feather boas and headdresses were not obligatory, there were a few who rose to the occasion, none more so than NIffi herself who was indeed dressed to impress.

On this occasion Niffi’s brother, who has just this week followed in his sister's footsteps and qualified as a doctor (congratulations) stood in for regular bassist Paul  Grainger who was engaged at a  jazz gig elsewhere.  Ifede Osiyemi is known for his work with Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra and, also from that campus, the Bold Big Band but on this occasion he was there to do his sister proud as was Alan Law on piano who since his retirement from his day job has been seen more and more frequently at the piano, most recently backing Ruth Lambert at a sell out gig at The Lit and Phil.

But back to the Speakeasy at The Exchange.

(© The Exchange)
The place was packed and the crowd was  loud, raucous and appreciative as befits a Niffi gig and it wasn’t long before they were on their feet shaking their whatevers...

Stand out moments for me: piano solos galore but particularly on Why Don’t You do Right? Bass solos too on After You’ve Gone and Niffi's top form scatting  on a couple of numbers.

The festival at The Exchange continues today and Sunday. All events are free - just turn up and throw some money in the bucket to support their first Blues, Jazz and Swing Festival. Sylvia T

Don’t Get Around Much Anymore; They All Laughed; Someone to Watch Over me; Is You is or is You Ain’t My Baby?; Let’s do it (Let’s Fall in Love); I’m Beginning to See the Light; Honeysuckle Rose; Making Whoopee;  Undecided; Why Don’t You do Right?; After You’ve Gone; Darktown Strutters Ball;  It Don’t Mean a Thing.

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