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

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: 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 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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.

Monday, November 07, 2022

Sunday Night @ the Globe: Jo Harrop and Jamie McCredie - Nov. 6

(© Debra Milne)
Jo Harrop (vocals); Jamie McCredie (guitar).

The room was crowded. Theatre style seating at the front, cabaret style further back. All were occupied. I bagged a chair at the last table any latecomers had to stand - that's how popular this gig was, and deservedly so.

I've waxed eloquently over these two artists many times over the years both as a duo and individually and tonight, as always, they lived up to and maybe even exceeded my expectations.

Jo, perched atop a bar stool, Jamie, closer to Mother Earth, gave us a well-balanced mix of standards and originals from her various albums plus a tantalising glimpse of a new album in the form of Burton Lane's Too Late Now which was originally sung by Jane Powell in the film 'Royal Wedding' which, by sheer coincidence is being shown on Talking Pictures as I type (9:30am-11:20am). It's the film where Fred Astaire dances on the ceiling and he and Powell duet on what, at the time, was the longest title ever (it may still be) - How Could You Believe me When I Said I Loved You When You Know I've Been a Liar All my Life?  However, by the time you read this it will probably be 'too late now' to watch the film.

It, Too Late Now, is a beautiful song and Jo gives it just the right amount of emotion aided and abetted by Jamie's empathetic accompaniment.

What a Little Moonlight Can Do had the audience oo-oo-ooing rather like they're incited to do on Minnie the Moocher which, I'm pleased to say isn't in this duo's repertoire!

Of the originals, Red Mary Janes and a Brand New Hat is a favourite of mine but in truth they are all good songs. Jamie's solo feature Night Butterfly went down well. He gets a great, almost unique sound.

I left on Billie's Blues, a song that Jo has probably sung more times than Ms Holiday herself ever did. My departure was no reflection on the performers but trains and boats and planes, not to mention buses, wait for no one. To misquote from the number that closed the first set - it had all been fine and dandy - come back soon. Lance

KEN DREW's PHOTO ALBUM.

I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues; What the Heart Wants; Home; Too Late Now; Lover; Night Butterfly; I Think You'd Better Go; Fine and Dandy; Red Mary Janes and a Brand New Hat; You Must Believe in Spring; Charade; Only Spring Will Decide; What a Little Moonlight Can Do; In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning; I Want a Little Sugar in my Bowl; Take it With me; Guilty/ Billie's Blues.

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