Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Stedman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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, August 20, 2022

Newcastle Jazz Festival (day two): Northern Monkey Brass Band and Harry Keeble/Mark Williams Duo - August 19

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Graham Hardy, Alastair Lord (trumpets); Jamie Toms (tenor sax); Mark Ferris, Keiran Parnaby (trombones); Phil Rosier (tuba); Adam Sinclair (snare drum); Brendan Murphy (bass drum)

After Thursday night's session at the Bridge the action, and some of the musicians, moved to the Black Swan for a night of contrasting music with the NMBB rocking the joint with their take on contemporary New Orleans' marching bands.

And march they did! Making their usual grand entrance from various corners of the room they eventually reached the stage amid a cacophonous, but not unpleasant, wall of sound.

That the programme was a mix of originals as well as pops associated with ABBA, The Jackson 5 and The Dixie Cups didn't lesson the jazz content.

The repertoire maybe different to what's played down Cullercoats way but the jazz is still omnipresent. How could it not be with Parnaby, Mark Ferris and Toms carrying on from where they left off the previous night? Leader Hardy and sidekick Lord hit the high notes as did Rosier who accomplished things with his tuba that would be difficult for a piccolo player! Then there was the rhythm team of Murphy and Sinclair who's infectious rhythms, be it ska or otherwise, was surely the reason that the audience crowded the floor.

You can't dance to jazz? - You can now!

Loose in a Banana Patch; Monkey Blood; Electric Dream; Simian Ska; Northern Monkey Second Line; Iko Iko; Funky Pie; Always Forward; I Want You Back.

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Mark Williams (guitar).

Earlier, Harry and Mark got the show on the road with an interesting duo set that took a selection of standards, jazz and otherwise, to just this side of beyond. Both have technique to spare that they utilised effectively - particularly in the interplay that occasionally brought JSB to mind.

They bounced ideas off each other with what appeared to be a spontaneous interaction.

Nobody in the audience danced but they certainly listened and applauded vigorously at the end. Lance

Bemsha Swing; All the Things You Are; The Glen; Smile; For Jan.

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