Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18191 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 45 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 14), 45

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: 2025 obituaries.
Thu 22: Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Thu 22: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta. @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors). £6.50 (inc. bf).

Fri 23: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 24: An Evening with Will Todd @ Durham Cathedral. 7:30pm. Feat. Voices of Hope, Strictly Smokin’ Big Band (members of) & Alice Grace. Performance inc. Todd’s Jazz Missa Brevis. £25.50., £13.50., £19.50., £10.50.

Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Alexia Gardner Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

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

Friday, October 14, 2022

Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham - Oct. 14

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax, flute); Paul Edis (piano)

Lunchtime jazz concerts at Durham's Gala Theatre invariably attract capacity audiences and today's duo set featuring Vasilis Xenopoulos and Paul Edis followed suit, the place was absolutely packed. The long-awaited return of Paul Edis was good enough reason for people to turn out, throw in the added attraction of the wonderful mainstream tenor saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos, it all adds up doesn't it? A class duo on top form, the first of four engagements this weekend, the Gala's full house heard their developing 'project' based around the theme of 'home'. 

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Cole Porter's You'd be so Nice to Come Home to set the ball rolling. Simply magical. For the next hour plus, 'home' was very much to the fore. Edis' Mikey's Samba (all about a Nissan Micra, don't ask!) and Lockdown London (composed you know when), Xenopoulos' Memories of Home (our London resident Greek reflecting on the land of his birth, a world premiere here in Durham), the musical partnership something to behold, or rather, hear. VX blew imperious tenor sax, flute on the aforementioned Mikey's Samba, and a curved soprano made an appearance on a couple of numbers, including Lockdown London.

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Stanley Turrentine's arrangement of Dvorak's Going Home (that's the 'Hovis' TV advert, check it out) hit the spot (Edis better than ever), and our dynamic duo went out on Lerner and Loewe's On the Street Where You Live. It had been a magical hour. This evening VX and PE will be joined by Andy Champion and Steve Hanley at the Traveller's Rest in Darlington (£12 at the door, eight o'clock start). Two further quartet gigs to look forward to...tomorrow (Saturday) at St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook (Abbie Finn will be occupying the drum stool) and on Sunday (with Hanley back in action) the mini tour concludes with a session at the Globe - HQ of Newcastle's Jazz Co-op - on Railway Street (8:00pm). So, four gigs, one down, three to go. If you're in striking distance of one or all three, don't miss it/them! Russell      
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