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

18602 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 466 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 8) 17

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

Tue 09: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne.
Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 09: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 8:10pm. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne.

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 10: John Garner & John Pope @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: MNO of the GASbook.
Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:45pm. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne.
Thu 11: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 11: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 11: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 11: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free

Fri 12: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 12: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Tanton (trumpet, vocals); Law (piano).
Fri 12: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Cleveland Bay Hotel, Eaglescliffe. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 13: Ladies of Midnight Blue + Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington NE63 9YF. Free. From 10:00am. Ladies of Midnight Blue (3:00-3:45pm); Northern Monkey Brass Band (4:00-4:45pm).
Sat 13: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 13: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 13: Courtney Pine @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £35.80. Pine (saxophones); Robert Mitchell (piano); Rio Kai (double bass); Romarna Campbell (drums). ‘A Modern-Day Jazz Story 1986 - 2026’.

Sun 14: Front Porch Band: Swing Tyne’s Swing Social @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations (£5.00. - £10.00. suggested). Swing dance event w. taster class (12:30pm).
Sun 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Doctor Jazz @ The Old Church, Sacriston, Durham. 3:00-5:00pm . Free (donations welcome). New Orleans, blues & classic 20th century songs. Food & soft drinks available, BYOB.
Sun 14: Eddie Gripper Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.

Mon 15: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 15: Dan Johnson w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Sunday, December 03, 2023

Paul Skerritt w. the Danny Miller Big Band: "A Night of Christmas" @ the Westovian Theatre, South Shields Dec. 2

(© Russell)
December 2 and we're in the home straight heading towards Christmas Day. You could tell it was that time of year as all the songs were about snow or Santa Claus, the band, in the later stages, wore Santa hats and Paul Skerritt wore polka dot underpants (outside of his trousers I hasten to add - this was all good clean fun!).

It was most definitely a family show with singalongs, corny jokes and much onstage hokum twixt Skerritt and bandleader Miller.

The singer was in great voice even though he confessed to me later that he'd had a sore throat - it didn't show.

(© Lance)
The band too were in cracking form with a few locals filling in for those who didn't make the trip from Merseyside: Bill Watson  (trumpet); Kieran Parnaby (trombone); Michael Whent (bass guitar) and the ubiquitous John Bradford (drums) were the super-subs.

(© Lance)
I didn't catch the names of all the visitors mainly because they weren't announced! One name I did catch was that of Phil Shotton who had some excellent solos on alto as well as on clarinet in a quasi-Dixie version of Blue Christmas.

If you look at the set list below I hope you will understand why I didn't pass chapter and verse on each number. Had I  done so, I'd still be writing come next year's event and, in doing so, it would have meant that I'd have had to bypass their prestigious April 26, 2024 gig at the Glasshouse, formerly known as Sage Gateshead, nee the Sage. 

A good start to the season of goodwill to all men and women (particularly women) all that was missing was the mistletoe. Lance

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (instrumental); Santa Claus is Comin' to Town; Let it Snow; Bring me Love This Christmas; The Christmas Song; I've Got my Love to Keep me Warm; Everybody's Waiting For the Man With the Bag; I'll be Home For Christmas; Christmas Alphabet; Jingle Bells (instrumental); When Santa Got Stuck in the Chimney; Santa Baby (instrumental with great solos from Shotton and Parnaby); Sleigh Bells; It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year; Blue Christmas; I Believe in Father Christmas; When Christmas Comes Around; Step Into Christmas; Show me the Magic; Driving Home For Christmas; Walking in a Winter Wonderland; Fairytale of New York.

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1 comment :

Lance said...

Personnel as supplied by Paul Skerritt: Paul Skerritt (vocals); Danny Miller (MD, flugel); Phil Shotton, Arthur Phillips (alto sax); Dan Thorne, Karoline Brennan (tenor sax); Sarah Dutch (bari sax); Josh Betley, Benny Coxon, John Naylor, Bill Watson (trumpet); Kieran Parnaby, Simeon Scheuber-Rush, Andrew Kirtley, Adam Dutch (trombone); Alex Bishop (guitar); Tom Sykes (keys); Michael Whent (bass guitar); John Bradford (drums).

Saxes doubled on flute and clarinet and Bill Watson doubled on flugel.

Sunday, December 03, 2023 7:22:00 pm

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