Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

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

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

The Black Swan jam session - May 16

A top class house trio, sitters-in galore, few, if any, students, Esther Coombes an honourable exception, newcomers and veteran jam session participants, they - and a sizeable audience - turned out despite the counter attraction of watching Sunderland struggling in vain to reach the 'Promised Land' of the Premier League and its riches.

Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger and Mark Robertson got the show on the road in style with three jam session staples - Ain't Misbehavin'This Masquerade and On Green Dolphin Street. First up, Luis Verde. Now resident in Newcastle, our Spaniard is rapidly becoming the star attraction here at the Black Swan. If bop to post bop to contemporary alto saxophone is you're thing, be sure to check out Luis!

Pianist Ben Phillips arrived. Well, well, the man plays a pretty mean trumpet! Later he would sit at the keyboard. Some guys have all the talent. Luis wasn't the only alto player in the house, Esther Coombes pitched in (later leading on Mr PC), as did Steve Summers. The phrase 'Alto Sax Summit' sprung to mind. 

As Mark Robertson went in search of refreshment, Kris Finney and Michael Mather sat in, both more than capable of handing whichever numbers were called (Mather on the drum stool as Showtime, that's David Gray, sang The Shadow of Your Smile). Kate O'Neill, up from Teesside, sang a couple including That Ole Devil Called Love. The multi-talented Stu Collingwood sang Don't Get Around Much Anymore. Aye, they're a talented bunch here at the Black Swan.

MC Paul Grainger marshalled the troops for the outer saying: We'll have a kick around on Blue Monk. And that's precisely what they did, all blowing on one of  Thelonious Monk's many much-loved tunes. The next Black Swan jam session is set for Tuesday June 6. It'll be a prompt seven thirty start, don't be late!  
     
Stu Collingwood (piano, vocals); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums) + (in something like order of appearance) Luis Verde (alto sax); Ben Phillips (trumpet, piano); Liam (guitar); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Adam Sams (guitar); Kris Finney (drums); Steve Summers (alto sax); Edgar Bell (trumpet); Kate O'Neill (vocals); Michael Mather (drums); David Gray (trombone, vocals); Owen Jones (double bass); ? (bass guitar); Alon Dagon (piano); Ray Burns (harmonica)

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