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

18122 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1086 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Dec. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 07: FILM: Blue Moon @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Dir. Richard Linklater’s biopic of Lorenz Hart.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 08: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones of 1976.

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

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.

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

Monday, August 29, 2022

A library list.

My first encounter with British jazz in book form, was Humphrey Lyttelton's I Play as I Please. Now, a lifetime later, I'm reading it again. Following on from Simon Spillett's masterful work on the life of Tubby Hayes - The Long Shadow of the Little Giant - it occured to me that, between these two extremes, the need is there for an all encompassing record of jazz in Britain.

I know there have been several previous attempts and, although BSH and LJN have been frontrunners in attempting to do this online, I can't think of an actual coffee table tome that has yet to become the definitive work. Perhaps, given the enormity of the subject, we need sturdier coffee tables.

So, with apologies for the omissions, of which I am sure there are plenty, I suggest that the following, given in no particular order and selected from my own library, could be, as of today at 8:00pm, the definitive British jazz bibliography. I'm aware this is but the tip of the iceberg and although I've included regional items - Newcastle, Birmingham, York and Manchester - I'm sure there are many more parochial writings out there, perhaps gathering dust in some village library. Lance

Humphrey Lyttelton: I Play as I Please.

George Melly: Owning Up.

Billy Amstell: Don't Fuss Mister Ambrose.

Vic Ash: I Blew it My Way.

Vic Lewis: All This and Maiden Overs.

Kenny Ball: Blowing my Own Trumpet.

Eddie Sammons: The Magnificent Eric Delaney.

Ted Heath: Listen to my Music.

Alan Robertson: Joe Harriott - Fire in His Soul.

Nat Gonella: Georgia on my Mind.

Harry Gold: Doubloons & Pieces of Eight.

Bruce Turner: Hot Air: Cool Music.

Dick Heckstall-Smith: Safest Place in the World.

Simon Spillett: The Long Shadow of the Little Giant.

Ronnie Scott: Some of my Best Friends Are the Blues.

Jim Simpson: Don't Worry 'Bout The Bear.

Chris Yates: Blue Horizons.

Eric Burdon: I Used to be an Animal But I'm All Right Now.

Graham Collier: Cleo and John.

Jim Godbolt: All This and 10%.

Peter King: Flying High.

Van Wilson: Rhythm and Romance.

Andrew Willox & Eileen Mann: I think we have a find.

Bill Birch: Keeper of the Flame (included upon hearsay).

at

1 comment :

Harry said...

Hi Lance,

just a couple of books published by Equinox Publishing - An Unholy Row Jazz in Bitain and its audience 1945-60 by Dave Gelly and Trad Dads, Dirty Boppers and Free Fusioneers
British Jazz, 1960-1975 by Duncan Heining. Equinox have also published a number of books on various British jazz musicians - Tubby Hayes, Chris Barber, Graham Collier, Ian Carr and Stan Tracey. All edited and Chris Barber's and Ian Carr's biographies written by Alyn Shipton.

Best regards

Harry

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 6:22:00 am

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