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

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Livestream: Peter King Memorial: Saxophone Summit @ 606 Club - Nov. 12

Mornington Lockett, Simon Allen (tenor sax); Graeme Blevins (alto, tenor sax); Karen Sharp (tenor, baritone sax); Deschanel Gordon (piano); Adam King (bass); Mark Taylor (drums).


Four top sax player in various permutations backed by an ace rhythm section paying a deserving tribute to the late alto sax giant Peter King.

Most 'streams from the 606 run for about one hour. Although fashionably late (8 mins) this one ran for nigh on 90 minutes or the duration of nearby Chelsea football club's 'pointless' trip to Newcastle earlier in the evening. Maybe the delay was due to the ill-founded hope that Chelsea would score an equaliser - they didn't!

You win some, you lose some and, musicwise, Chelsea's premier jazz club, as always, were runaway winners.

First out of the traps were Allen and Blevins, the latter on alto and they set a blistering pace driven on by an unrelenting rhythm section. This was the kind of set-to that doesn't normally happen until closing time and this was just the opener!

Mornington Lockett slowed things down, albeit not by much, with Invitation. After an unaccompanied intro he turned it inside out, upside down and any which way including loose. Adam King also had his say.

Karen Sharp and Simon Allen were next up for a mid-tempo romp on a song that has one of my all-time favourite titles Irving Berlin's (You Forgot to) Remember. Neither of the two tenor players had amnesia and it swung.

Karen stayed on board for a solo feature - A Ghost of a Chance - pure lyricism with just the right amount of cutting edge.

Mornington and Graeme - both on tenor - played Alone Together (or was it Beautiful Love? By this time I was on auto pilot and no tune titles were announced).

The final number for us streamers was a jam on Yardbird Suite(?). Three tenors and a bari (Karen) soloed and traded like it was the eve of Armageddon. Some session!

Throughout the set, Deschanel soloed impressively in between the saxophone heroics - he even managed a quote from Mairzy Doats - with King and Taylor also occasionally stepping into the limelight.

This was the second consecutive year that the 606 in conjunction with the EFG London Jazz Festival have paid tribute to Peter King, the altoist died in 2020, and last year the saxophonists included Sam Braysher who, tonight can be heard at the Globe in Newcastle. Lance

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