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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 21: Jason Holcomb Jazz Ensemble @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. A 'Sunderland Year of Music' event.
Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

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, June 14, 2023

Nights at the Turntable

As I mentioned in my review of Alyn Shipton's excellent biography of Gerry Mulligan, I was inspired to dig into the vinyl, the 45s and  the 10" LPs as well as the 78s and the cassettes.

An experience that was both musically rewarding as well as bringing back memories from my youth.

I was 15, had just left school and met a girl at a party who was three years older than me. She also worked in a local record shop. Yes, both Jarrow and Hebburn had record shops back then!

Needless to say, I called into the record shop on Victoria Rd. West in Hebburn the very next day. 'Do you like modern jazz?' she asked. Although, at the time, I was more into popular singers such as Guy Mitchell and Johnnie Ray, I replied, 'Yeah man' which is what I decided would be the expected reply even when addressing or (in my mind) undressing a girl!

'Then listen to this' she said and played Mulligan's Nights at the Turntable. It hit me from the off and I've still got the original Vogue 78 (backed by Frenesi) although the girl and the shop have long vanished from my life. 

However, Nights at the Turntable stayed around longer and when I was conscripted into the RAF one of the camp's radio stations (it could have been Cardington, Hednesford, Yatesbury or Manby) had a nightly jazz programme which used the number as its signature tune. One of the barrack room poets (not me!) composed a lyric that went: Put him on a 252 sarge, he should have known better, should have used a French letter ... the rest of the lyrics are unprintable! A 252 was the form that had to be filled in prior to disciplinary action.

The next time around was, after demob, I wandered into Max Share's music shop in Newcastle (I'd bought a Martin alto there some months previous) and discovered to my delight some printed transcriptions of the Mulligan Quartet recordings including the aforementioned piece.

Along with my friend, the late Jim McDowell on trumpet and myself playing the baritone parts on alto we beavered away until we almost got it right - almost!

The late Bill Shaw who sometimes played brushes at our practices summed it up with: 'Perhaps it should be called Nightmares at the Turntable'. He was probably right. Lance

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