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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

Monday, November 13, 2023

The Classic Jazz Party @ The Village Hotel, North Tyneside - Nov. 4 (afternoon)

Saturday's programme began earlier than in previous years. Friday's late night jam session didn't deter festival-goers from making an early Saturday morning trip to the 'flicks'. At 10:00am Doc Bastide presented the second of three film screenings and the 'cinema' (actually a small meeting room) was full to capacity to see - and hear - Louis Armstrong on screen.

At noon Martin Wheatley looked at Jack Hylton's output during 1921-23 in a set titled Jack Hylton - the Early Years . Assisted by yet another star-studded line-up, including Jan Kaiser and Torstein Kubban, trumpets, the elegant trombonist Alistair Allan, local heroes Emma Fisk, violin, and Phil Rutherford, tuba.

Glenn Miller's Small Band - the Uptown Hall Gang wasn't merely 'the music of', rather a more focused presentation featuring small combos from within Miller's wartime band and their radio broadcasts. Pianist Martin Litton did the research, duly presenting a most entertaining hour-long programme with trombonist Dan Barrett centre stage.

Caribbean Clarinets did what it said on the tin. Michael McQuaid looked at largely forgotten names of the instrument, including Alexandre Stellio and Eugène Delouche, both from Martinique, although generations apart. The musicians on stage with McQuaid included Martin Wheatley (banjo, guitar), himself a keen student of the music. Roy Eldridge afforded Enrico Tomasso the opportunity to blow some red hot trumpet 'Little Jazz' would have been proud of. Heckler's Hop - Young Roy Eldridge swung and roared,  Tomasso ably assisted by the reeds of Richard Exall, David Horniblow and Mauro Porro, pianist Martin Litton, string bassist Richard Pite and ace American drummer Josh Duffee. A cracking set.

The afternoon's set piece occasion ensured all seats were occupied, no one, but no one, wanted to miss this one. Italian star Mauro Porro led an all-star ensemble in an hour long performance of Cotton Club Ellington. The set list for Ring Dem Bells - Duke Ellington 1929 - 31 was based upon the arrangements of Claus Jacobi and the much-missed Keith Nichols. Magisterial, swinging, this Ellington set would vie for the highlight of the weekend. It's worth noting all participants: Torstein Kubban, Mike Davis, Malo Mazurié (trumpets), Graham Hughes and Dan Barrett (trombones), David Horniblow, Matthias Seuffert, Claus Jacobi (reeds), Mauro Porro (piano), Josh Duffee (vibes), Félix Hunot (banjo, guitar), Henry Lemaire (string bass), Nick Ward (drums), Nicolle Rochelle (vocals). A truly memorable occasion.

Souvenirs of A.B - Arthur Briggs & Al Bowlly  contrasted sharply with what had gone before, but none the worse for that. In the early twenties Arthur Briggs was working in Europe, Al Bowlly in Africa and Asia. They joined forces in Berlin during 1927 and it was this period which inspired Claus Jacobi to present a half hour programme drawn from their collaboration. Imagine Frenchman Malo Mazurié Briggs and, of course, Spats Langham as Bowlly. It worked well. 

To close the afternoon's entertainment, we were treated to a most welcome CJP first, the 'first' being Cia Tomasso leading a set. In fact, singer Cia co-presented I Hear Music - Billie in the Late 30s alongside her father, Whitely Bay veteran, trumpeter Rico Tomasso. The impressive Lorenzo Baldasso sat in the reeds, pianist David Boeddinghaus, who knows a thing or two about Billie Holiday, was on board, the French pairing of guitarist Félix Hunot and bassist Henry Lemaire were nothing short of tremendous, the whole thing topped off by drummer Josh Duffee. Cia Tomasso is one to watch and hear, that's for sure. Russell 

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