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.

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
at

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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