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 Steadman (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

Thursday, October 06, 2022

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: Farida Amadou + Bex Burch & Leafcutter + Shifa @ the Lit & Phil - Oct. 2

(© Ken Drew)
Shifa - Pat Thomas (piano); Rachel Musson (tenor sax); Mark Sanders (drums)

What a magnificent way to end a magnificent festival. The final set of the final session was an absolute barnstormer. Shifa completed the festival in some style producing a joyous set of improvised jazz . The trio employed no electronics which after a week of multiple technological odysseys was a somewhat welcome relief (I’m  hoping the cost of electricity will have risen so far by next year's festival that we will be able to enjoy more gigs where the soldering iron is not king). 

This was the  third performance for Pat Thomas of the festival (the others being Black Top and Anthropology) and I really thought that in this setting he was really able to shine. Mark Sanders is a frequent visitor to Tyneside and as ever was tremendous. I am not that familiar with Rachel Musson so Sunday night proved to be a revelation - her playing was quite brilliant. The whole set was exciting , exhilarating and explosive. The only note I made during the final number was ‘Wow’.  As the audience filed out uplifted and fulfilled it was almost possible to forgot for just a few moments the troubled times we find ourselves in – roll on the 2023 festival.


(© Ken Drew)
Bex Burch & Leafcutter John - Bex Burch (gyll, calabash, percussion, voice); Leafcutter John (modular synthesiser & sequencers)


Earlier in the evening there a very ambient set from Bex Burch and Leafcutter John. Bex Burch uses a range of African percussive instruments whilst Leafcutter uses the most modern of electronics. Somehow this juxtaposition of the ancient and space merge to create some amazing effects. In one section I was able to conjure up the image of ships passing each other in a sea surrounded by fog.

 

(© Ken Drew)
Farida Amadou a virtuoso Belgian based electric bass player got things underway.  Amadou has played with many of Europe’s top improvisors including  Jasper Stadhouders, Julien Desprez , Mette Rasmussen and Newcastle favourite Steve Noble.  Sunday’s solo set conjured up a wall of sound with a hint of techno thrown in.  It  was captivating stuff and got an incredible level of appreciation from the audience which Amdaou acknowledged with a wave before gliding out of the auditorium.  Steve H

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