Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

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.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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

Monday, December 19, 2022

This year's jazz excavations

2022 has been an exceptionally good year for previously undiscovered/unreleased gems from the archives. I've listed them alphabetically and not even attempted to put them in to any kind of pecking order although I have to confess that the Pepper Adams disc is fantastic and the Ellington one somewhat disappointing.

Strangely, apart from Mingus at Ronnie's the others are all predominately piano based. Thus we have Jamal, Evans, Hawes, Brubeck, Duke, Jarrett, Peterson and Tracey. It would take a better man than me to rate them! However, there are better men than me out there so let's hear it for your archival choices.

Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights - Live At The Penthouse 1963-1964.

Ahmad Jamal: Emerald City Nights - Live At The Penthouse 1965-1966.

Bill Evans: Morning Glory - Live 1973.

Bill Evans: Inner Spirit - Live 1977.

Charles Mingus: Lost Album From Ronnie Scott's (triple disc album). Disc 1/2/3

Charles Mingus Trio w. Hampton Hawes & Danny Richmond.

Dave Brubeck: Live From Vienna 1967.

Duke Ellington - The Lost Recordings.

Keith Jarrett: Bordeaux Concert.

Oscar Peterson: On a Clear Day.

Pepper Adams w. Tommy Banks Trio: Live at the Room at the Top. 

Stan Tracey: The 1959 Sessions.

Wolfgang Lackerschmid & Chet Baker - Welcome Back.

I must point out that these are discs that came via my friendly neighbourhood postman as opposed to those that mysteriously arrive through cyberspace and then disappear into some file/folder - out of sight and out of mind. Luddites of the world unite you have nothing to lose but your downloads! Lance

2 comments :

Gordon Solomon said...

Some of the most exciting sounds I’ve heard are on the LP Lionel Hampton All Star Band at Newport ‘78. Pepper Adams is in the line up, which also includes Cat Anderson, Bob Wilbur and Doc Cheatham. For me though the best solo is from Arnett Cobb on tenor sax in On the Sunny Side of the Street. Marvellous.

Lance said...

Great tenor player. I remember him at one of the North Sea Festivals where, on crutches, he blew the other tenor players off the stage and they included Illinois Jacquet, Scott Hamilton and Budd Johnson!

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