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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 2025).

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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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

Tuesday, November 08, 2022

Mike Durham's International Classic Jazz Party: Tribute to Mike and Awards Ceremony + The Professor + Teddy Wilson Small Groups + Friday Night Pub Jam. Nov.4

The first of three non-stop days of jazz began with the now traditional Tribute to Mike and Awards Ceremony. Trumpeter Enrico Tomasso led the session paying tribute to Classic Jazz Party (formerly Whitley Bay Jazz Festival) founder, the late Mike Durham. An all-British outfit, augmented by the brilliant American drummer Josh Duffee, played a half hour set prior to the Village Hotel audience being introduced to the recipient of the 2022 Young Talent Award winner, Curtis Volp (see photo). The sellout crowd looked forward to hearing Curtis (guitar, banjo) at various junctures over the long weekend. 
Making his CJP debut, Colin Good was accorded the honour of being Friday evening's piano 'professor'. The first of three CJP pianists awarded professorial status, Mr Good made a big impression. 

Later in the evening another fine pianist, Martin Litton, presented a wonderful tribute to Teddy Wilson - Teddy Wilson Small Groups - focussing upon Wilson's small group sessions from 1935 - 1944. Don't Be That Way (comp. Benny Goodman & Edgar Sampson) introduced another CJP debutant, string bassist ('string bass', this is the Classic Jazz Party, you know!), Harry Evans. Take it as read, the man was a revelation. Hopefully he'll be invited to participate in future editions of the CJP. Flying Home had to be in Litton's set and it was. A cracking set, Litton's sidemen, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso (another debutant, most impressive), trombonist Christoph Hermann (yet another first timer, coming from Germany's classical music world), Jean François Bonnel, Lars Frank (a CJP favourite, a multi-talented, multi-reedsman), French rhythm king Félix Hunot (banjo, guitar) and Richard Pite (à la batterie, as our French friends might say) more than played their part.               
The day's final concert in the main hall finished at 11:00pm but that didn't mean it was time for bed, far from it. A rip-roaring jam session was about to begin in the bar. A pint of Guinness, please! All seats taken, standing room at the bar, trumpet ace Malo Mazurié was to lead the session. And what a session it would be! 

N'Awlins-based pianist David Boeddinghaus guaranteed a rollicking, paddle steamer, stride masterclass as one soloist after another stepped up to blow the roof off the place. The cast list would take an age to list, suffice to say, as the Guinness went down, pint after pint, the ever-changing rhythm section built up a head of steam and kept going into the night. Mazurié's fellow trumpeter,
 Torstein Kubban is just the sort to have on a jam session, his blistering attack had the crowded bar whooping 'n' a hollerin'. It was silly o'clock in the early hours of Saturday morning when it all came to an end. It would soon be time for an early breakfast. Russell       

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