Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18897 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 11.) 40.

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

September.

Thu 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 17: Front Porch Blues @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 17: Amphitrio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £7.00. Andrei Petrache (piano); Mike Alex (double bass); Philip Goron (drums).
Thu 17: Miles 100 @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. Jack Courtney (trumpet); Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Tom Atkinson (guitar); Alan Law (piano); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums). A night of Miles Davis.
Thu 24: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. .

Fri 18: Danny Lownes’ Hot Club @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Mark Williams Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 18: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00., £5.00. student.
Fri 18: Rivkala + Beccy Sloan @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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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