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, November 14, 2023

The Classic Jazz Party @ The Village Hotel, North Tyneside - Nov. 5 (afternoon)

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
The Charleston, Bob Crosby, Fats Waller, Stuff Smith, Sunday afternoon's schedule at the Classic Jazz Party promised riches and no little variety. The early birds were up and about early queuing to get into the festival's makeshift cinema to secure a seat for Doc Bastide's third and final film presentation. The jazz proper began at noon with Mike Davis leading the charge on The Charleston Chasers - New York Studio Gems. Davis was joined for the occasion by German trumpeter Jan Kaiser, the elegant Alistair Allan (trombone), Michael McQuaid (reeds), the elegant pianist Martin Litton, Spats Langham playing banjo and guitar, CJP favourite Malcolm Sked (tuba and string bass) and drummer Josh Duffee. 

From the Charleston Chasers to Not the Charleston - Songs Inspired by Dance Crazes. The printed programme emphasised this session wouldn't be about the Charleston. US pianist Andrew Oliver presented a set focusing upon 20s' dance tunes which weren't the Charleston (the dance craze of its day). Andy Schumm (cornet), Phil Rutherford (tuba) and Nick Ball (drums) were in on the fun. 

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
The 'Bob Crosby Orchestra', as directed by Michael McQuaid, performed charts by Crosby's full ensemble which have been somewhat neglected - until now! 
Stomp Off, Let's Go - Bob Crosby & His Orchestra wowed a full house, and little wonder given the calibre of musician on stage. McQuaid's erudite presentation didn't go unnoticed and the likes of Malo Mazurié, Enrico Tomasso and Jan Kaiser (trumpets), Lorenzo Baldasso and Matthias Seuffert (reeds), David Boeddinghaus (piano), Félix Hunot (banjo, guitar) and Josh Duffee (drums) guaranteed a musical feast. One of the highlights of the weekend.

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Nicolle Rochelle - songs from the Early 40s did what it said on the tin. The basis of vocalist Rochelle's set was songs associated with John Kirby and various singers, including Maxine Sullivan, Una Mae Carlisle and Judy Ellington. Messrs Mazurié, Boeddinghaus and Lemaire were on the session, simply top class. From Paris (Nicolle Rochelle) to Chicago and Andy Schumm. Usually associated with the cornet and/or trumpet, not forgetting the reeds, Schumm's set titled Schumm Plays Fats heard our man at the piano and playing cornet. Our American researched Fats Waller's organ solos and unrecorded material for full orchestra. Yes, the Classic Jazz Party is one for the aficionado and anyone else who likes great music!

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Emma Fisk and Rico Tomasso transported us back  to the 1930s and the collaboration of Stuff Smith and Jonah Jones. Onyx Club Spree - the Music of Stuff Smith featured Fisk (violin) and Tomasso (trumpet) playing hot 'n' swinging numbers supported by an ace band - David Boeddinghaus (piano), Jacob Ullberger (guitar), Henry Lemaire (bass) and Josh Duffee (drums). Terrific!

To close the Sunday afternoon programme we were invited to take a seat in Smalls Paradise, Harlem for Echoes of Paradise - Charlie Johnson. Classic numbers, diligently researched by Claus Jacobi, were dispatched by an all-star ensemble, including Americans Andy Schumm (cornet) and Andrew Oliver (piano), Michael McQuaid and and David Horniblow (reeds), Phil Rutherford (tuba), Nick Ball (drums) and, once more, singer Nicolle Rochelle. A fine end to an interesting afternoon series of performances. We wandered out of the Village Hotel in search of a welcoming local hostelry. The dark skies illuminated by fireworks (it was Guy Fawkes), the Classic Jazz Party's final session would soon be upon us. Russell                      
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