Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thu 30: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: International Jazz Day & JANE AGM.
Thu 30: Duke Junction @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax); Jeff Hewer (guitar); Martin Longhawn (organ); Steve Hanley (drums). An International Jazz Day event & the 12th anniversary of Newcastle Jazz Co-op acquiring the Globe!

Fri 01: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 01: Bede Wind Band + East Coast Swing Band @ Cullercoats Methodist Church. 7:30pm. £10.00. Tickets from: www.ticketsource.com, members of Bede Wind Band & at the door. Memorial concert for Anne-Marie Purvis, who was a member of both ensembles. All proceeds to Tiny Lives Trust.
Fri 01: Louis Louis Louis @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.

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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