Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Saturday, October 08, 2022

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: Zoë Gilby Trio w. Noel Dennis + John Garner, John Pope + Dilutey Juice @ the Globe - Oct. 2

A brief 5 minutes or so walk from the Lit & Phil to the Globe finds more jazz festival activity. This time a more ‘mainstream’ selection well suited for a Sunday afternoon and the penultimate session of the festival.

Zoë Gilby Trio: Zoe Gilby (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); Noel Dennis (trumpet,  flugelhorn).

First off is the Zoë Gilby Trio with Noel Dennis. No need to mention the perfect delivery from the two main names in the band, but worth mentioning Mark Williams and Andy Champion as providing solid backing, and solid solos when called upon - just like the two main names of the band did!   A nice varied set, both warmly and enthusiastically received.

John Garner (violin); John Pope (bass).

Next up was the duo of John Garner and John Pope with their no holds barred music-making, bringing an unusual line-up of violin and double bass and demonstrating the adaptability and flexibility of the otherwise familiar music they base some of their work on. Their own compositions fit seamlessly into the mix.    

John Garner is one of the most exciting and unusual voices to emerge in recent years, combining immaculate technique with a fearless musicality and free-wheeling improvisational aesthetic. John Pope is a composer, improviser and a (much in demand) bass player. His work explores the boundaries of jazz, free improvisation, rock and experimental music.  Such a combination of skill and experience within the duo gives rise to an exciting interplay with a few frolics and fireworks thrown in for good measure.

Both have played internationally, but they seem at home with a local audience around the Globe who may not have expected to like the music of spontaneous improvisation, or indeed the sonority of a violin paired with a double bass. But crafting some recognisable tunes (including ‘Happy Birthday You Two’)* intertwined with trading phrases and full blown improvisation led to many smiling faces around the audience. A great set, well received.

Dilutey Juice:  Thomas Dixon (sax); Billy Bradshaw (trumpet); Lewis Wilkinson (sousaphone); Ben Fitzgerald (Drums).

Finally, something incredibly energetic - Dilutey Juice!!! They take inspiration from a plethora of influences, from the fast hypnotic rhythms of Afro-beat to the intense euphoria of 90s' dance music - they’re a good-time-brass-party-band!!!  

Juice was created in the summer of 2020 and their reason d’être is to bring positive vibes and dance music to the public.  And so it was – in spades!!  An enthusiastic and high-energy performance was greeted with enthusiastic and energetic applause (and much foot-tapping!).

All bands were bang on schedule like the rest of the Festival (congrats to them and to Wes!).  What an afternoon of lively and entertaining music, leaving with a short respite until the grand Festival finale back at the Lit & Phil. Ken Drew

* Ken Drew & Paul Bream share the same birthday - Editor

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