Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18982 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 846 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 8.) 25.

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 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Mon 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 12: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Julija Jacenaite (vocals).

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: A Night of Stevie Wonder @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 4:45pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
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.
Wed 14: A Night of Stevie Wonder @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 14: NW FRQNC @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00. Selina Albright, Gianni Vancini.
Wed 14: Jacob Egglestone Trio @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 15: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 15: Leah Kirk: A Strange Affair @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Leah Kirk (vocals); Alan Law (keyboards); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 15: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. PJO w. guest Graham Hardy (trumpet).

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

The Central Bar Quintet plays The Tokyo Blues @ Central Bar, Gateshead - Feb. 13

Jamie Toms (tenor sax); Pete Tanton (trumpet, vocal); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

The Central Bar Quintet's monthly session has many things going for it: a first set performance of an album (invariably a classic Blue Note recording), a second set of familiar numbers, a fine quintet, friends all, performing in a relaxed setting and, for some, the importance of a good selection of beers at the bar. A mere fiver admission, there's only one place to be on the second Monday in the month, that's Central Bar on Half Moon Lane. 

This evening's session trained the spotlight on Horace Silver's 1962 Blue Note album The Tokyo Blues. Drummer John Bradford welcomed one and all before handing over to Pete Tanton to guide us through the evening's entertainment. Trumpeter Tanton made the observation that despite the album's title - The Tokyo Blues - none of the five tracks is really a blues. No matter, Silver's instantly recognisable sound rang out as the horns - Jamie Toms, tenor sax, and Tanton, trumpet - played off one another with the rhythm section - Alan 'Horace Silver' Law, depping bassist Paul Grainger and the aforementioned John Bradford - right on the money. Rehearsal time is an unaffordable luxury on a gig like this, it's more 'turn up, glance at the charts and play the tunes'. A little rough around the edges (the endings were hit and miss affairs), it didn't matter a jot, the smiles spoke volumes, they were having fun.                   
    
The Tokyo Blues' set list: Too Much Sake; Sayonara Blues; The Tokyo Blues; Cherry Blossom; Ah! So.

Second set: Valentine's Day. Oh, no! Actually, it was all rather painless, in fact, rather delightful. Pete Tanton's Chet Baker-ish vocals are never less than a delight and they would feature prominently. The More I See You, It Could Happen to You, My Funny Valentine (unavoidable and excellent!), Our Love is Here to Stay, Let's Get Lost and more. Next month (Monday, date to be confirmed, 7:30pm) it's a Wes Montgomery centenary year celebration. Russell  
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