Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 2025

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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

Fri 26: ???

Sat 27: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 27: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Jason Holcomb & co.

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00., £7.00. adv.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 31: Lil Miss Mary & the Mr Rights Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. ‘Early NYE Bash’. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues.
Wed 31: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. ‘Midnight in Manhattan’ NYE party. £49.46 (inc. bf) & £29.38 (inc. bf).

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

Tuesday, August 09, 2022

Fantracks Acquires Jazzed To Accelerate Growth Of Fanmersive Live-Streaming Platform

(Press release)

FanTracks Digital LLC, the live streaming and fan engagement platform, has acquired jazzed (ETA Productions Ltd), the world’s first cross-media app for jazz, soul and blues. 

FanTracks launched in 2020 with the vision to create a unique fanmersive experience with live streaming at its core. FanTracks has built an engaged community through live streaming rock shows and its exclusive catalogue of video-on-demand concerts featuring A-list artists. jazzed has built a strong user base in its launch territories of UK and Germany based on a deep-dive curated catalogue of jazz, soul and blues and its unique Listen, Watch, Read user experience. 

 

With the acquisition, FanTracks will leverage and enhance the jazzed proprietary technology platform to deliver a deeper app-based experience for selected communities, starting with rock and jazz and scaling to additional genre verticles. The app will offer music fans a cross- media deep dive with live streaming (PPV) at its core. jazzed will launch globally with the enhanced platform in Q4 2022 followed by rock in Q1 2023. 

 

The European based jazzed management and curation team led by co-founders Jonathan Arendt (CEO), Frank Taubert (CTO) and Marcel Engh (CMO) will join FanTracks’ US operation to jointly implement their innovative content strategy and connected venue approach , starting with leading jazz clubs around the world, with state-of-the-art remote production technology. 

 

Ty Roberts, FanTracks CEO, outlines “With the acquisition of jazzed we will accelerate our vision to build the most innovative fan engagement platform anchored around immersive live streaming. The jazzed platform will now sit at the heart of FanTracks vision to scale across other music genres and add Web 3 product features such as NFTs and metaverse experiences. I am delighted to welcome the talented jazzed team to the FanTracks family.” 

 

Jonathan Arendt, jazzed CEO, says “FanTracks is the perfect home for our outstanding cross- media technology. We look forward to supercharging the platform and user experience with their expertise and are excited to now be able to fully realise our vision and take jazzed global.” 

 

About FanTracks 

fantracks.com 

FanTracks is a live streaming and fan engagement platform. The company (FanTracks Digital LLC) was founded by Barry Summers and Ty Roberts in May 2020 in response to the pandemic to allow consumers to continue enjoying the live music experience and gain access to their favourite artists in a personal and safe way. FanTracks is a departure from services that digitally mimic traditional ticketing approaches. The platform offers music lovers access to high-quality, carefully curated, and professionally produced live shows. Its proprietary technology creates a new world of virtual music and fan experiences, from a range of group chat modes to hosted hang-out spaces and parties, to interactive features that bring musicians and music lovers together. 

 

FanTracks' President Barry Summers is an award-winning producer. In the 90s, he worked with Dick Clark as Executive Producer of many successful live shows and has produced award-winning concert films/live TV Specials and numerous Billboard #1 chart-topping DVDs, CDs, and vinyls featuring some of the world's biggest artists. Ty Roberts, FanTracks' CEO, is a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Roberts co-founded Gracenote and served as Chief Strategy Officer for nearly 18 years. As a visionary technologist, he developed technologies and data that power products including iTunes, Comcast Xfinity and Ford Sync that are used by hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide. He holds dozens of patents for his inventions and has created multiple technical standards across the industry. 

 

About jazzed 

Jazzed.com 

jazzed is a multi-tier jazz, soul and blues streaming subscription service which has been developed by UK based ETA Productions Ltd, a specialist in creating new digital media platforms for entertainment markets. The App was launched in February 2020, offering a highly curated music, video and editorial (Listen, Watch, Read) experience for the jazz fan. ETA Productions Ltd was co-founded by Jonathan Arendt, former CEO of Jazz FM, the world’s largest English language jazz radio station; Frank Taubert, former founder and CEO of the pioneering digital music service 24/7 Entertainment and Marcel Engh, former Bertelsmann and Sony Music executive. 

 


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