Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Mon 28: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ Hepscott Parish Hall. 7:30pm. . £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Tue 29: Red Kites Jazz @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller's Rest, Cockerton, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. For one week only the rehearsal night will be at the Traveller's Rest (open to the public).
Wed 30: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ The Hearth, Horsley. 7:30pm. £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Wed 30: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 30: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds + Juliana Day & Manon McCoy + Helen Anahita Wilson @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. A BBC Introducing-Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

October

Thu 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Rivkala @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 01: Hot Club de Heaton @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 01: The Scenic Route @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Alison Gill + Markrokosmos @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music (NFOJAIM).
Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Gilby & Hunter + Andy Champion @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. The Abbie Finn Trio augmented by Dean Stockdale (piano).
Fri 02: Alexia Gardner Trio @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 02: Zoe Rahman Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 8:00pm. NFOJAIM. SOLD OUT!

Sat 03: New Orleans Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Gavin Lee & co.
Sat 03: Anemone Quartet + Jeepe Zeeburg @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Caravan. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Free. Excellent blues band.
Sat 03: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.50 (inc. bf). Two sets: 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. ‘Swing Band Dance Night’.
Sat 03: Olie Brice Quartet + Alexander Hawkins + Harper Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Heugh Battery, Hartlepool. 11:00am-12 noon & 1:00-2:00pm.
Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 04: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Bill Watson (trumpet).
Sun 04: Sax Choir w. Rachel Musson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Rivkala + Ceitidh Mac + Thatcher & Knowles @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. A NFOJAIM event.
Sun 04: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED from September 27.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £3.00.

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Hexham Jazz Festival: Jo Harrop + Freddie Benedict @ Hexham Abbey - May 13

The second day of this year's Hexham Jazz Festival and the sun shone. Hallelujah! Hexham Abbey, the principal venue, once again drew a large crowd, no real surprise given that top of the bill was none other than Jo Harrop. What's more, Jo shared this evening's double bill with the up-and-coming vocalist Freddie Benedict. Festival MC Nigel Williams read out the parish notices, not forgetting to plug his own late night jazz DJ set in the Great Hall. 

Jo Harrop (vocals); Emma Rawicz (tenor sax, soprano sax); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums) + Freddie Benedict (vocals)

Jo Harrop is riding the crest of a wave; a non-stop gig schedule, invaluable media coverage, important career visits to Los Angeles and New York, and now, a welcome return to this weekend's Hexham Jazz Festival. Here in Hexham Abbey Jo was in the company of friends on and off stage. A programme incorporating standards (Henry Mancini's Charade arr. P. Edis, Cole Porter's Just One of Those Things) and original compositions, many of them from last year's superb Jo Harrop-Paul Edis album When Winter Turns to Spring, our Chester-le-Street to London superstar knew she was singing for an on-side crowd. 

Jo's band, what a band! MD Paul Edis at the grand piano, the award-winning Emma Rawicz (coming soon to Sage Gateshead) playing both tenor sax and soprano sax, and the unbeatable bass and drums pairing of Andy Champion and Steve Hanley. A voice to die for, intimate, late night material reaching out to the far corners of the ancient, imposing building here on Beaumont Street. Jo Harrop and band couldn't have wished for a better reception, chalk it up as another successful gig!             
 
Earlier, the first of two concerts introduced Guildhall School of Music and Drama graduate and ex-NYJO singer Freddie Benedict. 

Freddie Benedict (vocals, flugelhorn); Emma Rawicz (tenor sax, soprano sax); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums)

Young, dapper (see those shoes!), charming, confident, there is little doubt that our vocalist won himself an abbey-full of new fans. Taking a loan of Jo Harrop's amazing band, Benedict let the audience know he appreciated working with them, some he'd known for a while, Steve Hanley, up from Leeds, he'd known 'for a few minutes'! 

Opening with No More Blues sung in Portuguese, Benedict's tenor voice hit home, a baritone is in his vocal armoury, as is an upper register delivery - most impressive. One or two standards, including One Note Samba, were interspersed with a range of original compositions including Star-Crossed Lovers, not to be confused with Billy Strayhorn's composition. As if vocal talent weren't enough, Benedict plays more than half decent flugelhorn. Some guys have all the talent! Messrs Edis, Champion and Hanley, and Ms Rawicz, proved to be the ideal musicians for Benedict's 'up north' debut. There's no doubt about it, we'll be hearing more of Mr Freddie Benedict. Russell    
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