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

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

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.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

Bold Big Band @ the Old Coal Yard, Byker - July 21

(© Lewis Palmer)
Jacob Lightfoot, Max Storey, Crissi Booth, Lucy McCartan, Brian Wicks (saxes); Alex Utting, Bertie Marks, David Gray, Conor Polley (trombones); Billy Bradshaw, Thomas Howarth, Sam Armstrong, Andrew Marshall (trumpets); Ben Davies (guitar); Alex Ngeyu (keys); Ifede Osiyemi (bass); Caleb Carver (drums); Conor Polley (vocals)

A youthful (ish), mainly student based, audience got what they came for - did they not!

This band don't know the meaning of  pp. Their pp is my ff  by which I mean they are loud and, judging by the whooping and the hollering, the whistling and the traditional hand-clapping and stamping of feet (later, stomping of feet on the cobbled floor), this is what the night was all about.

The solos were shared around with Lightfoot copping for most of the alto spots although Storey had a nice chorus late on. Lucy and Crissi shared the tenor solos and, without starting a cat fight I thought Lucy just edged it. Both did okay and Crissi won hands down for her hairstyle. On bari, front-man Wicks didn't solo but did tell some jokes - don't give up the day job Brian.

Billy Bradshaw blew the screamers on Maynard Ferguson's arrangement of Birdland whilst Sam Armstrong had a blast late on.

The north east's (in my opinion) top trombone man David Gray didn't solo - he was only depping - but Utting did good although, when Conor Polley swapped his 'bone for the mic the place erupted and, understandably so. He sang the last four numbers and the room was rockin'.

Needless to say, the rhythm section were solid throughout. Carver taking Caravan across the burning sands as if there wasn't an oasis in sight plus good solos across the set from piano, guitar and Osiyemi on bass guitar - hey! when did he hang up his microphone?

It was what it was and none the less for that. This is a band that nods to the past but brings its audience along to the present. Bon voyage. Lance

More photos.

Computer; All the Things You Are; Blue Rondo à la Turk; Birdland; Tank; Caravan; Limehouse Blues; Everybody, Needs Somebody; Superstition; Crazy Little Thing Called Love; Wonderwall

at

3 comments :

Patti said...

What a night for rocking big bands! The excitingly Bold Big Band in Byker, and across the river, the Strictly Smokin' Big Band and Alice raised the heat at Sunderland's Fire Station, with the sounds of Ella and Ellington!

Saturday, July 22, 2023 12:26:00 pm
Anonymous said...

Acknowledging the misogyny doesn't make your comments any less misogynistic. Poor form, Lance.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023 5:28:00 pm
Lance said...

The unknown warrior strikes again!

Wednesday, July 26, 2023 5:52:00 pm

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive