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!

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Newcastle Jazz Festival (day one) - Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ the Bridge Hotel August 19

Michael Lamb (MD), Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Jamie Toms, Dave Kerridge, Keith Robinson, Steve Summers, Sue Ferris (reeds); Chris Kurji-Smith, Keiran Parnaby, Mark Ferris (trombones); Chris Gray  (bass trombone); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Graham Don (piano, keyboards); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals)

Tonight, the Third Newcastle Jazz Festival returned with a BANG! It has built from an initial, one day, six band session, to a four day extravaganza that looks surely to evolve. Comparisons with the original NJF, as have been made elsewhere, are ludicrous. When my good friend Andy Hudson was bringing in top American stars there were Arts Council grants, sponsorship from local radio and other supportive sources.

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Today, the cultural support is somewhat less (a point to remember when ticking your boxes on a piece of paper). However, much as that is relevant, the top and bottom of it all is the music - a subject that probably won't come up in the hustings - unless they knock on my door!

Nevertheless, enough of that. I've always tried to keep BSH apolitical so let's get down to the nitty-gritty - the music and the festival.

I said it began with a BANG and I wasn't just referring to the power of the brass on Buddy's Big Swing Face! I was bemused as I tried to remember a jazz gig where they were turning people away and where, even those who stayed had to stand on the stairs and listen! 

This raised a few thoughts with me:

  1. Bigger venue needed.
  2. Maybe two nights.
  3. Perhaps ticketed with a nominal charge for those who haven't forked out for all four days.
However, that's for the future. Tonight the band was kicking ass. Just about everyone soloed and, if they didn't, they certainly excelled in what used to be called in the brass band world as 'bumping up'. I'm not going to award points - how could I with these guys? Nevertheless, if backed into a corner (musicwise), I'd have to give my ten stars to Chris (Kurgi-Smith) and Keiran for their blast on one of the Mingus numbers - Jimmy Knepper in stereo!

As always, Ms Grace was a credit to the human race with scintillating versions of Avalon - I first heard it on record by Al Jolson, Alice edged it by a country mile. Hard Hearted Hannah and 'Deed I Do got score draws against Ella and Peggy whilst You Turned the Tables on me was as close to perfect as you're gonna get in a room like this.

This is going to be one helluva festival! Lance

MALCOLM SINCLAIR PHOTOS.

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1 comment :

Michael Lamb said...

Thanks for the review Lance - and agree with those points... next year!! Thanks for making it along - see you over the weekend 👍 M

Friday, August 19, 2022 12:34:00 am

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