Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Sun 30: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Tango Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

September.

Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Monday, February 06, 2023

Sunday night @ the Globe: Dale Storr - Feb. 5

(© S.Herrick)
Dale Storr (piano)

After the recent spate of sold-out gigs at the Globe last night's comparatively poor turnout was somewhat disappointing. I guess the final episode of Happy Valley won the day.

Nevertheless, at least it wasn't one of those occasions where the band outnumbered the audience and those who did manage to tear themselves away from the telly enjoyed it although, in truth, it was a game of two halves.

In the first the set the piano was loud - jarringly loud - all but overpowering the affable pianist's vocals. However, as the set progressed an acceptable balance was reached and by intermission time Storr's Jambalaya had me wondering if they had any crawfish pie flavoured crisps behind the bar.

The second set was better and, in his depiction of the sounds of New Orleans which included numbers by, among others, Dr John, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair and James Booker, even a virtual native New Yorker like me was, at least temporarily, transported from the Big Apple to the Big Easy.

Each number was preceded with some background information about the song and the artist before the Sheffield based piano man played and sang the music and the songs from way down yonder. His rolling bass lines and tremulous treble trills sounding as authentic as those played by the musicians who inspired him. 

Despite the unpromising start, it had been an enjoyable evening of music from New Orleans and the sentimental side of me couldn't help recalling that, some 50 or so years ago, a couple of 100 yards down the road was the former site of Newcastle's legendary New Orleans Jazz Club*. It seemed a happy coincidence. Lance

*I often wondered if there was a Newcastle Club in New Orleans!

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