Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,057 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 921 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 29) 100.

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

October.

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.

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 03: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest tba
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ 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: An Evening of Erykah Badu @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

(Some) Gigs of the Year 2022.

(© Ken Drew)
These are but a small percentage of my favourite gigs (in no particular order) of 2022. I could easily draw up another list tomorrow that would be, maybe, 75% different!

I've omitted the various festivals such as the Classic Jazz Party, Newcastle Jazz Festival and the Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music. Individually they could produce top ten lists of their own and perhaps someone will.

As always, I look forward to receiving your choices. Lance

Liane Carroll @ the Globe (Dec. 4).

Vasilis Xenopoulos/Paul Edis @ the Globe (Oct. 16).

Jo Harrop/Jamie McCredie @ the Globe (Nov. 6).

Dave O'Higgins w. SSBB @ Hoochie Coochie (Oct. 23).

Jazz Defenders @ Hoochie Coochie (April 7).

Jason Isaacs @ Hoochie Coochie (Dec. 11).

Jean Toussaint @ Sage Gateshead (Nov. 27).

Black Swan Jam Session (Nov. 1)

Paul Skerritt @ Westovian Theatre (Oct. 8).

TJ Johnson @ The Lit & Phil (Nov. 18).

3 comments :

Russell said...

Following the editor's lead, festival performances are excluded. King Bees with guest Mick Cantwell (yes, a blues gig!) @ The Hotspur (Feb. 25); Lewis Watson Quartet @ Lit & Phil (Apr.22); Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ The Bridge Hotel (Apr. 28); Jeff Barnhart @ Lit & Phil (Sep. 16); Dave O'Higgins w. Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Hoochie Coochie (Oct.23); Alan Barnes Octet @ Black Swan (Dec. 10); Paul Edis: A Jazzy Xmas @ Sage Gateshead (Dec. 17).

Russell said...

How could I forget?! Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet (with Ferg Kilsby!) @ The Globe (Oct. 16); Liane Carroll @ The Globe (Dec. 4).

Hugh said...

Must admit I've been to more live classical than Jazz since moving away. A Jazz high light this year was Acoustic Triangle as part of the Swaledale Festival (https://www.swalefest.org/). Next year's festival is set to include Lance's favourite "shantoose" [chanteuse], Claire Martin.

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