Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

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, 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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