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, January 10, 2023

BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year to make welcome return to NAC (Wolverhampton) with new project

(Press release)

Newhampton Arts Centre is to welcome internationally renowned artists to their Spring season of Jazz. The programme launches this February with one of most talked about young musicians in contemporary jazz, Xhosa Cole.

The band would be a brand new ensemble ‘Rhythm-a-ting’ exploring the compositions of Thelonious Monk with the Xhosa Cole fingerprint, perfect for a live setting.

Gathering an all-star lineup for this show, Xhosa Cole will play tenor sax, sharing the stage on 18th February with Steve Saunders on guitar, Josh Vadiveloo playing double bass, Nathan England Jones on drums and Liberty Styles on tap dance.

The appearance of his quartet - on a 20-date national tour - was another scoop for the NAC and the promotional organisation Jazz In Wolverhampton back in early 2020 when he played to a full house at the centre.

Handsworth-born Xhosa Cole is an embodiment of the success of numerous community arts programmes in the West Midlands. Having first played the tenor at Andy Hamilton’s Ladywood Community Music School, he’s now the latest in a long line of Birmingham Saxophonists.

After his win in 2018 at BBC Young Jazz Musician of the year, Xhosa Cole is known to be deeply passionate about the jazz tradition and this love is reflected in his breath-taking performances.

“Xhosa’s performance was so heartfelt, sincere and communicative. It’s easy to see he has such a deep and genuine love of the tradition." - Iain Ballamy who was on the jury at BBC Young Musician Jazz Award, November 2018.

Xhosa Cole and his quartet will play Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton on Saturday 18th of February at 8pm and tickets are priced £14.50.

Jazz at NAC also continues the spring jazz season with the acclaimed Australian piano trio Trichotomy make their debut at the centre and saxophonist, composer and band leader, Jasmine Myra. Completeing the spring season will be the David Preston Quartet featuring Kit Downes, Seb Rochford & Kevin Glasgow. Further details about all events and tickets can be purchased at www.newhamptonarts.co.uk

(Editor: Sounds good. The Xhosa Cole Quartet will be  at the Globe, Newcastle on March 5. DETAILS)

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