Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Blue Note Nights - JazzMain on the Fringe @ The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh - August 17.

Nick Gould (tenor sax); Steve Grossart (piano); Iain Harkness (bass guitar); Kevin Dorrian (drums)

Wednesday night was to be a Blue Note Night at the Edinburgh Jazz Bar as JazzMain prepared to play their third and final concert on the Fringe. The omens were good, two sell out concerts and a long queue on Chamber Street when I arrived 30 minutes early. The international flavour of the fringe evident as I queued with a young couple from India, a visitor from Spain, and another from Sweden. The Jazz Bar runs a tight ship over the Fringe (affording lots of choice) and when saxophonist Nick Gould welcomed the audience at 8.30pm prompt, all seats, and standing room, were taken.


Up first This I Dig of You, swiftly followed by For Minors Only, the international audience already grateful, that out of the hundreds of concerts on offer, this was the one they had chosen. 


A sublime piano solo from Steve Gossart on Darn That Dream, a breath taking rendition of Tin Tin Deo that included moments of spellbinding intimacy, before the swinging blues Sandu with accomplished solos from each of the four (this my favourite) closed to rapturous applause and shouts of ‘fantastic’ and ‘ole’. 


Rain Check, Tadd Dameron’s Ladybird, one of the era’s classics, and all too quickly we had arrived at the closing Invitation.


JazzMain’s hallmark passion and integrity for the artists and music they pay homage too, and that they are each masters’ of their craft laid the foundation for what was an exceptional concert. Their gutsy decision to play a completely new set at each performance added an edginess and vibrancy that captivated and thrilled their audience.

This was JazzMain at the top of their game.


I’ll leave the last word to one of my Aberdonian kin not known for high praise… ‘that’ she declared, ‘was excellent’!


Thanks to Hemant and Tanaya for their valuable insight into the technical processes of jazz composition. Good luck with the mini bagpipes.
Kay C

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2 comments :

Nick Gould said...

Thank you so much for the review Kay, we had a good night playing some great "Blue Note Era " tunes.

The Fringe was a very positive experience for us and of course a delight to be in the Jazz Bar.

Best regards


Nick Gould

Saturday, August 20, 2022 2:29:00 pm
Anonymous said...

Great to be in the audience Nick. Enjoying listening to Jutta Hipp. Kay

Saturday, August 20, 2022 8:46:00 pm

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