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).
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.

Wednesday, November 08, 2023

The Black Swan jam session - Nov. 7

It's becoming a thing - arriving at the Black Swan well before seven o'clock when the doors are scheduled to open. Punters old and new were in the queue. A queue at a jam session! Before the seven thirty start the place was more than busy. A while later, up on the street, Newcastle Arts Centre resorted to operating a 'one in, one out' policy. Who'd have thought it?! 
The house trio - pianist Ben Phillips, bassist Paul Grainger and drummer Abbie Finn - set the standard with On Green Dolphin Street. One sensed it was going to be a good session. 

Two or three tunes in, Harry Keeble got up to play a couple of numbers, In a Sentimental Mood an early highlight, that's for sure. The man of the moment, alto saxophonist Luis Verde, chipped in with a couple of numbers of his own, on There'll Never Be Another You flanked by Keeble and trumpeter Elliott Todd. Quite a line-up! 

The pace didn't let up all night. The Black Swan merry-go-round spun ever faster...young Lara Rana (one to watch) on trumpet with John Rowland on tenor for company, Jan Spencelayh singing, accompanied by Elliott Todd, guitarist Ben Helm and Alex Shipsey, bass (MC Grainger making a rare excursion to the bar), The singers were queuing up - Becky, Kate, Issie, Lisa, Ellen and others. A rare appearance by pianist Grace Alexander enabled Ben Phillips to 'take five', they were coming thick and fast. And then, to close, the man himself, Mr Paul Skerritt! Let the Good Times Roll - what else?! Entertainment with an upper case 'E', first rate jazz musicians, a welcoming venue, it's little wonder they're queueing at the door. The next Black Swan jam session is scheduled for Tuesday 21st, 7:30pm prompt. If you want a ringside seat for the best free show in town the best advice is...arrive early! Russell

Ben Phillips (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums) + Harry Keeble, John Rowland (tenor sax); Luis Verde (alto sax); Jacob Egglestone, Ben Helm, Liam ?, ? (guitar); Lara Rana, Elliott Todd, Edgar Bell (trumpet); David Gray (trombone); Grace Alexander, ? (piano); Alex Shipsey (bass); Jamie Watkins, Owen Jones (double bass); Bailey Rudd, Freddie Richards, Josh ? (drums); Jan Spencelayh, Becky Tuck, ?, Kate O'Neill, Issie ?, Lisa ?, Ellen ?, Paul Skerritt, Ian Drever (vocals)      
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