Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18469 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 333 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 27 ) 67

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

April

Thu 30: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: International Jazz Day & JANE AGM.
Thu 30: Duke Junction @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax); Jeff Hewer (guitar); Martin Longhawn (organ); Steve Hanley (drums). An International Jazz Day event & the 12th anniversary of Newcastle Jazz Co-op acquiring the Globe!

May

Fri 01: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 01: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 01: Bede Wind Band + East Coast Swing Band @ Cullercoats Methodist Church. 7:30pm. £10.00. Tickets from: www.ticketsource.com, members of Bede Wind Band & at the door. Memorial concert for Anne-Marie Purvis, who was a member of both ensembles. All proceeds to Tiny Lives Trust.
Fri 01: Louis Louis Louis @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.

Sat 02: Midnite Follies Orchestra @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £20.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. All-star line-up.
Sat 02: Knats Masterclass & Jam II @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00-3:00pm. £15.00.
Sat 02: Shannon Pearl + John Pope & John Garner @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf. ‘Witch-pop’ + Pope & Garner.
Sat 02: Knats + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sat 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 03: Chilcott Jazz Mass @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 9:30am. Free. Sung communion with Parish Choir (featuring Bob Chilcott’s music). A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 03: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Mark Toomey (alto sax).
Sun 03: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: Tom Waits for No Man @ Oxygenic, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm (2:30pm doors). Neckties and Boxing Gloves album launch. £14.00 (gig & a CD); £8.00 (gig only).
Sun 03: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 03: John Pope & John Garner @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.

Mon 04: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: Pete Tanton’s Cuban Heels @ The Library, South Parade, Whitley Bay. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 05: Leah Kirk (voice): Final Year Music Recital @ The Band Room, Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 2:30pm. Free, open to the public.
Tue 05: Jenny Baker (voice): Final Year Music Recital @ The Band Room, Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 4:20pm. Free, open to the public.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Friday, May 10, 2024

Lewis Watson Quartet + Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble @ Laurel's, Whitley Bay - May 9

Lewis Watson (tenor sax); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

A first visit to Laurel's in Whitley Bay. A former social club on Whitley Road, its discreet entrance leads visitors up a steep fight of stairs to a first floor bar (with pool table!). The decor, best described as 'funky', the place has a DIY feel to it. Dimly lit, the seating 'funky', a pint of Camden's Ice Breaker Pale Ale the pick (at an eye-watering £5.95 a pint), best of all, the sound system was Bird and Dizzy all the way.

Sometime later we took another flight of stairs (no lift) to the performance space. Seating on three sides, overhead theatre spotlights, Laurel's is a funky place, that's for sure. We, 'we' being the capacity audience, were in Whitley Bay to listen to Lewis Watson. The tenor saxophonist's quartet - Mark Williams, Andy Champion, John Bradford - opened, as always, with a searing take on Wayne Shorter's Yes or No. Listening to Lewis and co., the thought occurred...Small's, Smoke, the Blue Note, the Village Vanguard or any of the Big Apple's many jazz venues could/should book the Lewis Watson Quartet.

Song for Keith, No Light, No Tunnel, these are but two of the numbers occupying Lewis' 2023/24 set list. The musicianship - Lewis, Mark, Andy and John - of the highest order, over the course of two sets, if anyone was in doubt, this evening's performance should banish such thoughts for ever more. Prayer to Be concluded the evening. Here's a thought...if Lewis Watson did get himself a gig in NYC, he'd knock it out of the ballpark. 

Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble: Lewis Watson (MD, tenor sax); Lara Hopper (trumpet); Erin (guitar); Thomas (keyboards); Neil Hopper (double bass); Finlay (drums)

Earlier, Lewis Watson led a Wallsend based youth ensemble - Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble - in a short set of modern jazz standards. Trumpeter Lara (rapidly becoming a Black Swan jam session regular) and bassist Neil (Neil helping out Lewis on a regular basis), guitarist Erin*, pianist Thomas and drummer Finlay made a great job of it, playing Dear Old Stockholm (Dear Old Stockton, quipped MC Lewis), Hank's Groove, I Remember Clifford (a feature for Lara), Blue Bossa and Chick Corea's 500 Miles High. An excellent half hour or so.    

* Full marks to Erin. Shortly after the Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble's set, Erin made a sharp exit due to the fact the following morning she was due to sit a GCSE exam! Russell 
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