Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18429 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 13 ) 27,

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

April

Sat 18: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Swing dance sessions + Bright Street Big Band 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm.
Sat 18: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm. £27.00 (inc. bf).

Sun 19: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Trio + Lara Hopper.
Sun 19: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 19: Straight to Tape @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Edd Carr, Jonathan Proud, John Hirst. Blues trio. CANCELLED!
Sun 19: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Tue 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval NE25 0AT. Tel: 0191 237 3697. Tickets: £14.00. ‘Pie & Pea Lunch’.
Tue 21: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £29.00., £26.00., £23.00.
Tue 21: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Jack Littlewood (drums).

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Friday, November 04, 2022

The Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone - Nov. 3

David Gray (trombone, trumpet, vocals); Lawrence McBriarty (trombone, vocals); Brian Bennett (banjo); Paul Grainger (double bass)

The Holystone pub, Thursdays, it's the Vieux Carré Jazzmen. Over the years the line-up has evolved, the present outfit led, as ever, by Brian Bennett, aided and abetted by veteran trombonist Lawrence McBriarty and two recent recruits, string bass man Paul Grainger and 'Showtime', that's the adaptable 'boneman, trumpeter and aspiring vocalist, David Gray. 

This week's session focussed upon Showtime - when doesn't a session feature the multi-talented musician?! Avalon for starters, Home, then an unlikely Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Showtime switching from one horn to the other, vocals all the while. More regular fayre included It's a Sin to Tell a Lie, Cheek to Cheek (a non-dancing Showtime, although knowing David he could probably do a convincing Fred Astaire) and, at the request of Lawrence McBriarty, Out of Nowhere. Mr McBriarty showed Showtime that he too, is no slouch in the vocal stakes singing Dallas Blues. Mr PG (Paul Grainger) grabbed an occasional solo and boss man Bennett held it all together. 

Time was pressing, Classic Jazz Party duties were looming. time to drink up a London Pride and move on to the Village Hotel. Russell
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3 comments :

Brian Bennett said...

There’s a terrific documentary currently available on Netflix showing never-before-seen footage of John Fogerty’s CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL in concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Narrated by American film actor, Jeff Bridges, the documentary looks into the modest beginnings and meteoric rise of the band. Dave Gray’s version of Fogerty’s ‘Bad Moon Rising’ was (in my slightly slanted opinion) terrific. It’s a fab song with poignant lyrics which can be read as a portent of Hurricane Katrina and the devastating floods which hit New Orleans in 2005.

Friday, November 04, 2022 11:25:00 pm
Barry Aitchison said...

I go there most Thursdays. The vintage jazz, and the venue, is great. It is deserving of a larger audience. (Content edited),

Sunday, November 06, 2022 10:13:00 am
Brian Bennett said...

Barry Aitchison is quite right in saying the Holystone pub is a great venue. It is. However, the pub car park now has a ‘Numberplate Recognition System’ in place which requires customers arriving by car to enter their vehicle registration number into a tablet located on the bar. Failing to do so can result a £100 fine. Other pubs in the area including The Corner House in Heaton have also adopted this system to ensure that their car parking facilities are used by ‘customers only’. Sadly, many bone fide customers park up and either don’t notice the warning signage/instructions or simply forget to register. When that happens they don’t come back. It’s a worrying trend.

Sunday, November 06, 2022 11:22:00 am

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