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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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

Thursday, June 08, 2023

Ten of the best from Tubby Hayes.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Tubby Hayes - indisputably this country's best ever jazz musician be it on tenor sax, flute or vibes.

I was fortunate enough to see him live either as part of the Jazz Couriers, the group he co-led with Ronnie Scott or with his own quartet  or quintet.

I've set myself the impossible task of picking out my ten favourite albums (in chronological order) which, after constantly changing my mind, ended up as the following:

Tubby Hayes: The Little Giant. I'm unashamedly cheating here as this is actually a 4 CD set that covers his early years (1954-56) with the big bands of Vic Lewis and Jack Parnell as well as smaller groups with Jimmy Deuchar, Dizzy Reece and Victor Feldman.

The Jazz Couriers: Live at the Dominion Theatre. The Couriers were without doubt the best modern small group in the UK at the time (1958) with Scott and Tubbs displaying the mastery of their instruments.

Tubby Hayes: The Eighth Wonder. Recorded a month after the previous album, by the wonders of multi-tracking Tubby plays 2 altos, 3 tenors, baritone, vibes and piano on three tracks. Truly wonderful. There's also a further nine tracks recorded a year later (1959) by his quartet (Shannon, Clyne and Seaman).

Tubby Hayes: Tubbs. The quartet, this time with with Bill Eydon on drums, plus some big band tracks and a great version on vibes of The Folks Who Live on the Hill. 1961.

Tubby Hayes and the All Stars: Return Visit. Tubby's second visit to New York saw him teamed up with Roland Kirk, Jimmy Gloomy (James Moody), Walter Bishop Jr., Sam Jones and Louis Hayes - five of the city's finest. He proved that he too was world class. 1962.

Tubby Hayes Quintet: A tribute: TUBBS. Recorded live in 1963 at the Dancing Slipper, Nottingham, the quintet of Tubby, Deuchar, Shannon, Freddy Logan and Allan Ganley are in fine form.

Tubby Hayes Quintet: Live at Ronnie Scott's. The same quintet are showcased on this vinyl recording from 1964. Blues and Modes Parts 1 and 2 occupy the two sides of the album. 1964.

Tubby Hayes: Live at the Hopbine featuring Tommy Whittle. I visited the Hopbine quite often when I made periodic trips to London. I did once see Tubbs and Tommy there but I don't know if it was this one or a different one altogether! I do remember enjoying the contrasting styles of both players. 1965.

Tubby Hayes Quartet: Mexican GreenI've saved what many regard as 'the best' almost till last and, deservedly so. Mike Pyne (piano), Ron Mathewson (bass), Tony Levin (drums). The influence of John Coltrane, who'd just died was evident and Tubby Hayes had never been one to rest on his laurels as this 1967 album proves.

Tubby Hayes Quartet: Live at the Hopbine 1968 Vol 1. Another vinyl gem this time with Louis Stewart on guitar, Kenny Baldock on bass and Spike Wells on drums.

Any of the above albums are a testimony to the greatness of a legend who left us 50 years ago aged just 38.

For more on Tubby Hayes check out Simon Spillett's The Long Shadow of the Little Giant. Lance 

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