Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 06: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 1/3.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Jazz Night: Bridget Metcalfe @ Saltburn House Hotel. From 6:00pm. Tickets: £40.00 (inc. a two-course meal & glass of Prosecco). Tel: 01287 658977.
Fri 06: The Exu + Kraabel/Harrison/Birchall @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Wednesday, August 02, 2023

The Black Swan jam session - August 1

The first day of August, blazing hot weather (not), schools out, students backpacking across the globe, would anyone turn out for this evening's Black Swan jam session? As the doors opened at seven o'clock the rain just about held off and by the half past the hour the usual faces had taken their seats, one or two newcomers too. 

Ben Phillips, Paul Grainger and Mark Robertson opened the show with two or three tunes - Solar, Night and Day, Stellar by Starlight - before opening the floor to whoever fancied doing their thing. Front row Kate O'Neill threw in her metaphorical hat, singing a couple including My One and Only Love. 

It had been a while since Paul Ruddick ventured down the stairs to the Black Swan jam. This evening our alto saxophonist brought along young Shivan Ruddick, a trumpeter in the making. Ruddick Snr. called Roland Kirk's Serenade to a Cuckoo. Now there's a tune! Considering this was Shivan's jam session debut he did more than alright - one to watch.

In marked contrast, in his own inimitable style, jam session veteran Ian Drever sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The Newcastle Arts Centre's foundations remained intact, but only just. Our singer's second offering - The Lady is a Tramp - benefitted from some blistering trumpet playing from occasional jam session participant Michael Lamb. Paul Gowland, blowing alto, opted to play Bill Evans' Very Early. House pianist Ben Phillips didn't know the number, you'd never have guessed - a real pro is Mr P.  

An interlude of sorts...with the absence of a depping bass player, Paul Grainger welcomed the opportunity to take five, introducing a cameo performance by neo-soul singer Georgia May. Our self-styled 'Nigeordian' (Nigerian Geordie!), accompanied by pianist Daps, this was something a little different. Daps solo piano rendition of Misty silenced the room, a rare occurrence in itself, a special moment.



Another bottle of Rivet Catcher, strangely, your correspondent's note-taking became all the more indecipherable. They were queuing up - the Harrison Brothers (guitarists Charles and Laurence), pianist Alon Dagon, graduate drummer Bailey Rudd (the personable Rudd is staying on in the region to undertake MA studies), Haaruun Miller on tenor, there may have been others. Twenty minutes to go, MC Grainger thought there was time to fit in two more. Best laid plans...all got up, off they went blowing on Impressions. Big solos and (with all dropping out) a magnificent, eyeballs-out exchange between Laurence Harrison and Mark Robertson. 

Not only is the Black Swan jam session the best free show in town, it's the jam session you dare not miss!  Russell                  

Ben Phillips (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums) + (more or less in order of appearance) Kate O'Niell (vocals); Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Kris Finney (drums); Ian Drever (vocals); Michael Lamb (trumpet); Paul Gowland (alto sax); Georgia May (vocals); Daps (piano); Charles Harrison (guitar); Alon Dagan (piano); Bailey Ruud (drums); David Gray (trombone, vocals); Edgar Bell (trumpet); Ray Burns (harmonica); Haaruun Miller (tenor sax); Laurence Harrison (guitar)
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