Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Charlie Parker was my introduction to the religion of music. And so he's always with me .'' - Downbeat November 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

17950 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 914 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Nov. 7).

From This Moment On ...

November

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Thu 04: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Seasonal/Festive Music & Songs - autumn into winter.
Thu 13: Awen Ensemble @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00. Jazz-folk.
Thu 13: SwanNek + Ellen Beth Adbi + Phantom Bagman @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. A BBC Introducing event.

Fri 14: Dan Johnson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 14: Giles Strong Quartet @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £32.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 14: Guisborough Big Band @ Saltburn Golf Club. 7:30pm. £12.00 (inc. pie & peas). SOLD OUT!

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00-9:30pm.
Sat 15: Les Frères Frangipane @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £10.00. ‘Chanson Française’. Fundraiser for Jesmond Community Orchard & Jesmond Library.

Sun 16: Jo Harrop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Duo performance.
Sun 16: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. ‘Jazz Sunday’ with special guest PETE TANTON.
Sun 16: Lorne Lofsky-Nigel Price Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Lofsky (guitar); Price (guitar); Jeremy Brown (double bass); Joel Barford (drums).
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: Lorne Lofsky-Nigel Price Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Lofsky (guitar); Price (guitar); Jeremy Brown (double bass); Joel Barford (drums).

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 17: Finn-Keeble Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

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

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Art Themen - Sold Out! - However...

If you've left it too late to get a ticket for Sunday night's JNE gig at the Globe by the great Art Themen do not despair.

It isn't the only game in town. Over on the east side of the city at Cluny 2 the Jazz Defenders are in concert.

This hard-driving band from over the border made a big impression on me when they played at Hoochie a couple of years ago. It was one of my gigs of the year in 2022 as you will gather from this review - LINK.

So you can get your Sunday night jazz fix even earlier as it's a 6:00pm start and that isn't all. If you've got a 'souped-up' 2-litre jazzmobile you could hear the Jamie Toms Quartet in Hexham at 3:00pm, Lindsay Hannon at 5:00pm in Durham, the Jazz Defenders at 6:00pm then spin a coin between Edgar Rubenis at the Pro. Bar or the Tweed River Jazzmen in Berwick at 7:00pm.

All doable but, and here's the rub, a combination of roadworks and parking problems could lead to the best laid schemes of mice and men ... Lance

2 comments :

Paul Bream said...

Hi Lance,

You're right to say that the Jazz Defenders are a fine band, but I'm not which map you're looking at when you describe them as coming from "over the border". They are in fact based in Bristol, with several of the members being long-standing leading figures on the city's jazz scene.

Lance said...

I stand corrected. It was their association with the record label Haggis Records that caused me to make this erroneous assumption.

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