Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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, May 13, 2024

Liam Byrne Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - May 12

Liam Byrne (tenor/soprano sax); Andy Hulme (guitar); Tom Kincaid (piano); Ed Harrison (bass)

Although this was a drummer-less line up, it didn’t matter as all four musicians are well experienced at playing this sort of gig. When Ed Harrison is on board you know things will swing! I think it’s been quite a while since Tom Kincaid has played at this venue and he decided to use the house upright tonight rather than a keyboard which was a good move as, to me, tenor sax always sounds best when an acoustic piano is used.


Liam selected some interesting tunes to play, including Bean and the Boys, Coleman Hawkins’ version of  Lover Come Back To Me.  I liked his soprano work on Come Sunday which was the only time Liam featured the smaller vintage horn tenor sax being his preferred instrument. He has done many gigs here as a sideman with guitarist Trefor Owen and it was good to see him fronting his own band and together with his long time guitarist friend Andy Hulme he knows how to keep the audience interested by introducing tunes that seldom get played anymore such as Zing Went the Strings of my Heart and I Know That You Know.  In answer to a request from a member of the audience Liam did Young at Heart. I remember Frank Sinatra and Doris Day having big hits with this in the mid-fifties.


The final tune of the evening was Poutin', a Ben Webster composition that I hadn't previously heard. I thought the sound balance of the quartet was good but, once again, there were some empty seats which is unusual for a Sunday evening. I think the crazy weather may have been the reason. My train was delayed by an hour and whilst sitting in the station waiting room it went from being sunny to violent thunderstorm and then torrential rain very quickly.       


The next jazz night at the Railway is Tuesday May 14 with the Paul Hartley Quartet including Jim Collins.


Sunday; Under a Blanket of Blue; Blues in the Closet; O Grande Amor; I Know That You Know; Young at Heart; Zing Went the Strings of my Heart; Come Sunday; I'm Just a Lucky So and So; Bean and the Boys; Poutin’

No comments :

Blog Archive