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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

Wednesday, November 08, 2023

The Classic Jazz Party @ The Village Hotel, North Tyneside - Nov. 3 (evening)

Friday evening's programme began with something a little different. Michel 'Doc' Bastide made a welcome return to North Tyneside to present A Selection of Rare Jazz Films from his extensive collection of movie rarities. There would be three opportunities - Friday evening, Saturday morning, Sunday morning - to attend a screening and the demand was such that each 'house' would be over subscribed. A rare treat indeed.

Richard Pite's Party Pieces presented a miscellany of melodic mischief with six musical marvels. A fun way to start the evening's entertainment. From Pite's melodic mischief to a long overdue look at the work of the little-known saxophonist Loren McMurray. The Saxophone of Loren McMurray occupied much of Michael McQuaid's time researching, transcribing and, here at the Village Hotel, finally presenting the music of McMurray to an attentive full house. 

Runnin' Wild - the Benny Goodman Trio couldn't fail to deliver the goods. The music of the ever-popular BG trio wows the punters every time and here at the CJP, making his festival debut, Lorenzo Baldasso charmed his audience. A contemporary of fellow countryman Mauro Porro, Baldasso (reeds), working with pianist David Boeddinghaus and drummer Josh Duffee made a big impression. It's likely we'll be seeing - and hearing - more of L. Baldasso in the future.

Claus Jacobi spent many an hour writing out charts for the evening's grand finale. Listen to the Doc! Doc Cook's Dreamland Orchestra presented the swinging sounds of Doc Cook's 1920s' Chicago outfit - Freddie Keppard, Jimmie Noone, Johnny St. Cyr et al - as heard at Paddy Harmon's legendary Dreamland venue. Jacobi assembled a to-die-for orchestra: Andy Schumm (cornet), Torstein Kubban (trumpet), the reeds of Messrs McQuaid, Porro, Exall and Jacobi himself, Andrew Oliver (piano), Henry Lemaire (banjo), Spats Langham (banjo, ukulele, vocals), Malcolm Sked (tuba) and Nick Ball (drums). A fitting end to a long day of top quality jazz. 

Ah, not quite the end! At eleven o'clock, the audience, as one, scurried round to the hotel bar for the first of three late night jam sessions. A front row table, a pint of Guinness (the first of several), the session led by French trumpeter Malo Mazurié, this being the weekend of Guy Fawkes, the word 'incendiary' came to mind. And sure enough, we heard superb, blistering trumpet playing courtesy of Monsieur Mazurié. The house band included the impressive Lorenzo Baldasso blowing some scintillating clarinet, the Crescent City's David Boeddinghaus at the upright and David Horniblow dropping anchor on bass sax. The sitters-in were many, all A-list, including, up from Bristol, the ebullient Jack Calloway, clarinet (see photo), Mauro Porro at the house piano, yes piano. Signor Porro is an amazing multi-instrumentalist (reeds, piano), arranger, bandleader etc...

Porro isn't alone in being an amazing musician here at the Classic Jazz Party. From France, Henry Lemaire's propulsive string bass playing never fails to excite, CJP favourite Félix Hunot playing banjo and leaping up to sing a chorus or two. Is there no end to their talents? It was silly o'clock, the hotel staff began setting out breakfast tables (a not-so-subtle hint that it was time to sleep). Saturday (day two of this year's Classic Jazz Party) would soon be dawning. Russell  

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