Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: 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 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Dean Stockdale Quartet: Celebrating Oscar @ Opus 4 Jazz Club - Jan. 20

Dean Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass ); Gaz Hughes (drums)

The middle of January, freezing cold, stay home, watch the telly. Not likely! Opus 4 Jazz Club's regulars and not so regulars turned out in force to listen to the Dean Stockdale Quartet. And what a quartet! Pianist Dean hails from these here parts (Darlington), his band mates making the trip from west of the Pennines to perform two sets of music written by the legendary Oscar Peterson. Last year, up the road in Newcastle, Dean's quartet played to a full house, this evening the Traveller's Rest was as busy as it's been in a while. 

Celebrating Oscar would be just that, a celebration, but before Dean and co. made a start, many fine words were said in remembering Terry Coates, co-founder of Opus 4 Jazz Club, who sadly died earlier this month. One thing is for sure, Terry would have loved this gig. Indeed, at the request of Opus 4 Jazz Club, the opening number was none other than Night Train. You might as well start the way you mean to go on! Terrific! Across two sets, Dean, Tim, Gavin and Gaz would have a ball. Nigerian Market Place, then Hughes, brushes in hand, brought in Have You Met Miss Jones?, guitarist Williams superb, a great arrangement. A swinging Blues Etude closed out an excellent first set.  

Another pint of Theakston's Best, a clutch of raffle tickets, a natter, this was Opus 4 at its best. The second set picked up where the quartet left off playing a fine take  on Noreen's Nocturne. Dean Stockdale playing OP wouldn't be Dean Stockdale playing OP without a selection from OP's Canadiana Suite...Blues for the Prairies, Wheatland and Hogtown Blues. The gig delivered in spades: Stockdale in fine form, Williams hugely impressive (think Herb Ellis), likewise Gavin Barras (think Niels-Henning) and, driving it along at the back, covering every move, A-list drummer, Gaz Hughes. It was almost time to go, but not before another swinger, yes, C Jam Blues. Cookin'! And to close, with Terry Coates looking down from up there, OP's stately Hymn to Freedom. Russell          
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