Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 2025).

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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. 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, March 13, 2023

GNBBJF - Sunday 5 (Schools Section)

Sunday morning, bright and early. Following a workshop for a group of young musicians, the second day of competitive big band action began at eleven o'clock. Schools from across the region and one or two from further afield would battle it out to be crowned best band at the 2023 edition of the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. Later in the day it would be the turn of the youth ensembles. 

Yarm School Big Band (MDChris Hibbard). Yarm School, not too far south of Chester-le-Street, made a welcome return to the GNBBJF with Chris Hibbard putting his young charges through their paces. No fewer than five pieces formed Yarm's programme, opening with Bobby Timmons' Moanin' and closing with the old warhorse Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, the band's bass player made a good impression (notes read: Good bass player). Vocalist Elise Wilcock sang a couple of numbers which went down well with the Park View audience. What would the adjudicators think?

All the way from Telford, Haberdashers' Abraham Darby Jazz Band (MDTom Gledhill) returned to defend last year's 'Best Band' winning appearance. The Shropshire outfit, led by 'Mr' Tom Gledhill, opened with something of a surprise selection - Lennon and McCartney's I Saw Her Standing There (arr. Dave Wolpe). Trumpeter Ed Follos scored points on Bill Liston's Another Look at the Diminished Chord and the band signed off with Kris Berg's Feather Report. A stout effort, would it be enough to see the band make a successful title defence? 

A first appearance at Chester-le-Street by Ponteland High School Big Band (MDPhilip Rosier) suggests music education in that part of the world (a couple of miles west of Newcastle International Airport) is on the up. Four numbers, opening with Joe Zawinul's Birdland and closing with Gordon Goodwin's ever popular Jazz Police, the ensemble did Ponteland High School proud. Would the adjudicators be inclined to make an award?

Last, but by no means least, the band from Harrogate, St Aidan's Swing Band (MDVicki Elliott) would conclude the morning's session. Previous winners at the GNBBJF, Vicki Elliott's swinging band (see photo) produced an excellent performance. It Don't Mean a Thing (if it ain't got that swing)Splanky (good ensemble work), My Funny Valentine as arranged by Sammy Nestico, St Aidan's certainly put themselves in the frame. Carnival Kerfuffle closed the set. The winning band? The adjudicators were about to make the all important decision. 

Following a short intermission the presentation party assembled on stage and festival director Bill Watson read out the results as follows:     

Adjudicators' award: Bass player (Yarm School Big Band)

Adjudicators' award: Lauren Campbell, vocal (Ponteland High School Big Band)

Adjudicators' award: Elise Wilcock, vocalist (Yarm School Big Band)

Best Programme: St Aidan's Swing Band

Best Section: Brass section (trumpets & trombones), St Aidan's Swing Band

Best Soloist: Ed Follos, trumpet (St Aidan's Swing Band)

Best Band: Haberdashers' Abraham Darby Jazz Band 

No comments :

Blog Archive