Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Tuesday, October 03, 2023

Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club - Oct. 2

Herbie Hudson (trombone, harmonica, vocals); Brian Chester (piano); Dave Percy (bass); Scott Adair (drums) + Brian Lynham (harmonica); Matty McElvogue (trumpet); Maureen Hall, John Broddle, George (vocals)

Harmony Brass doesn't quite do what it says on the tin. Week-to-week Herbie Hudson provides the brass (trombone) and unless a sitter-in brings along some plumbing parts (saxophone, trumpet, trombone) that's about it in the brass department. What you do get with the resident band - Hudson, pianist Brian Chester, bassist Dave Percy and drummer Scott Adair - is a right old mix of right old numbers. And then there's the sitters-in...

Harmony Brass opened with Louisiana, yes, it was a Monday afternoon on Cullercoats Bay. The place was busy, more than, perhaps they were there for the raffle. Basin Street BluesGee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?, all of the band vocals handled by frontman Hudson. How Can You Face Me?Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me, the veteran Hudson kept the show moving along, sharing the soloist's spotlight with pianist Chester. The rhythm boys - Percy and Adair - didn't say much, in fact, they didn't say anything, preferring to get on with the job at hand.

My Mother's Eyes, featuring Brian Chester, prompted the mischievous Hudson to remind the audience they were listening to Richard Clayderman...Bobby Crush. Chester chose to ignore the jibe. In the run up to the interval and the much-anticipated raffle, No Time for Jive frontman Brian Lynham joined the party to play Georgia on my Mind. When's the last time two harmonicas featured on a gig? Probably the last time Lynham was down Cullercoats way.

The raffle came and went. The prizes going elsewhere. Resuming matters musical, Hudson sang There'll Be Some Changes Made. And, following that, some changes were made. Great to see Maureen Hall in the audience and, better still, our Rendezvous Jazz vocalist got up to sing a couple of numbers - Doctor Jazz and Ice Cream (the latter a vocal duet with the mischievous Hudson). The applause rang out.

Trumpeter Matty McElvogue joined the party to play Undecided followed by I'm Beginning to See the Light. Great stuff! Brian Lynham returned to regale all with Stormy Weather (sing along, now). If it's a Monday at the Crescent Club it's odds on John Broddle will put in an appearance. Sure enough, Mr B sang After You've Gone and a favourite of his and many in the audience, I'll See You in My Dreams. As the big hand approached three, it was rock 'n' roll medley time. It was time to go for the ever-unreliable Metro. Russell          

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