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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

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. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! 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.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

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, January 01, 2024

Preview: 2024 (part 1)

That was a very good year for jazz, wasn't it? 2023 that is. Packed houses, sold out notices, a 'one in, one out'  system in operation at a jam session (honestly!), who said: Jazz is dead?!  At BSH HQ (that's Hebburn, South Tyneside) it's time look forward to this year, 2024. And what a year it promises to be! On the local scene (broadly Tyneside, up north to Berwick, down to the Tees Delta and west to Hexham and sundry Tyne Valley outposts) there are many great gigs to look forward to. And there is 'local' interest further afield, both nationally and internationally...

The award-winning Globe (Newcastle Jazz Co-op's community owned venue) has some very tasty looking gigs lined up, Jeremy McMurray's bi-monthly concert presentation at Arc, Stockton is invariably a sellout and Sunderland is on the up. That's a revitalised Wearside jazz scene and SAFC! The Fire Station (adjacent to the Empire) is one of several jewels in Sunderland's much-touted 'Cultural Quarter' and then there is a no-expense-spared new venue, step forward Seventeen Nineteen (see photo). Dating from 1719 (hence the name), the renovated Georgian church in Hendon is to present a monthly jazz concert, the first one featuring Mick Shoulder's Swing Manouche (the date for your diary - Friday 15 March). First the Fire Station, now Seventeen Nineteen. Wearsiders unite, support your local jazz venues! 

Monthly lunchtime sessions in Bishop Auckland, Durham and Newcastle go from strength to strength, this year presenting some of the very best musicians based right here on BSH's doorstep alongside several high profile national names and one or two international guests. Similarly, lunchtime Dixieland/New Orleans residencies continue to thrive (Cullercoats, Holywell, Monkseaton, Stockton).

There's more, much more. Jazz North East will be presenting a slew of gigs across Newcastle and at the Glasshouse (formerly Sage Gateshead), 2024 marks Blaydon Jazz Club's 40th anniversary year. BJC's first concert of the year presents the brilliant jazz guitar duo of James Birkett and Bradley Johnston (Monday 18 March at the Black Bull on Bridge Street). Jam sessions abound - the Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre (first and third Tuesdays in the month), the Globe's various sessions (Sundays and Wednesdays) and over in Gateshead a first Sunday evening in the month session at the Schooner on South Shore Road. 

The New Century Ragtime Orchestra will embark upon a mammoth tour comprising all of two concert dates. Two gigs in a calendar year for the NCRO constitutes a tour! Dorman's (Darlington), Claypath Deli (Durham), Hops and Cheese (Hartlepool), Gosforth Civic Theatre (Newcastle), King's Hall (Newcastle, Thursday lunchtime, term time), Prohibition Bar (Newcastle), they'll all be chipping in throughout the year. Part two tomorrow...Russell
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