Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

October.

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Mon 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 12: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

A second decade Black Swan Jam session - May 21

Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums) + John Rowland (tenor sax); Ruth Lambert (vocals); Kate O'Neill (vocals); Bradley Johnston (guitar); Kyriaki Pantelidou (vocals); Mollie Birmingham (vocals); Stuart Turner (guitar); David Gray (trombone); Becky Tuck (vocals); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Remi Coulthard-Boardman (vocals) 


Saturday's tenth anniversary jam session special would take some beating. Would this evening's jam session be a case of  'after the Lord Mayor's show'? The early birds duly arrived, the doors opened and the Black Swan began to fill up. Many new faces took their seats, perhaps they stumbled across Saturday's super jam during the Late Shows' culture-vulture trail (the Black Swan but one of many participating venues).
Alan Law playing piano guarantees a pulsating, swinging session. Aided and abetted by Paul Grainger and John Bradford, things were set fair. St Thomas for starters, one-nil to Mr. A. Law. John Rowland blew laid back tenor, David Gray blew 'Showtime' 'bone, joined throughout the evening by a galaxy of vocalists. Teach Me Tonight sang Ruth Lambert, one of the stars of Saturday's extravaganza. Wow! Bang on form, as usual. 

Kate O'Neill got all Misty and more, then, not In Walked Bud, but In Walked Bradley. Yes, guitarist Bradley Johnston, no less, joined the party. Fellow party-goer Kyriaki Pantelidou sang I Fall in Love Too Easily, accompanied by Joe Pass, sorry, Bradley Johnston. We hadn't seen or heard Kyriaki in a long time, time spent studying in Limerick, Ireland, accounting for her absence. A most welcome return to Tyneside. Bradley and Kyriaki hung around to make telling contributions to Manhã de Carnaval (P. Grainger and J. Bradford in sympathetic supporting roles). 

Mollie Birmingham sang as only Mollie Birmingham can, wringing out every last drop from Nature Boy then My Funny Valentine. Stuart Turner, of the Rockin' Turner Brothers, rocked up toting a Telecaster. Working alongside 'Showtime', Stuart played some knock out guitar on Don't Get Around Much Anymore and Lullaby of Birdland. Esther Coombes joined the party late (clarinet and alto sax), Becky Tuck belted out Me or Leave Me, great stuff! And then there was 'Remi CB'. That's recent graduate Remi Coulthard-Boardman singing Moondance. Boy, Remi sure can sing! We came full circle with a super-charged Ruth Lambert hollerin' Love Me Like a Man. After the Lord Mayor's show? Not a bit of it. Another excellent session, next one Tuesday June 4. Russell  

No comments :

Blog Archive