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.

Wednesday, May 08, 2024

The Black Swan Jam session - May 7

This evening’s Black Swan jam session attracted yet another full house, they were queuing at half past six, an hour before the down beat. The house trio - Stuart Collingwood, Paul Grainger and Abbie Finn - warmed up with Henry Mancini’s Days of Wine and Roses. It wasn’t long before the first of the hopefuls caught the eye of MC Grainger. 

Up stepped Harry Keeble. A tenor saxophonist of some renown, this evening HK arrived with a soprano sax. Well, let’s hear if he can play the thing. Of course he could! Unforgettable the choice, great stuff! And it wasn’t long before alto saxophonist Luis Verde joined HK to play Lover Man. If that was to be the highlight, it was worth queuing for.

The singers got the nod: Kate O’Neill sang Night and Day and It’s Only a Paper Moon. Jan Spencelayh chose Love Me or Leave Me followed by a surprise vocal duet with Davd Gray, our duo making a great job of It Had to Be You.

MC Grainger called for a piano player. His luck was in, step forward Murray Wankling. What’s more, Jamie Watkins was in the house (our MC joined Stu C at the bar). Drummer Abbie took five, Bailey Rudd a more than capable sub. The house trio returned to the stage to support Messrs. Keeble and Verde on a rip-roaring take on Ornithology. The horns blazing, MC Grainger cookin’. If that was to be the highlight, it had been worth queuing for.

There’s no use crying over spilt milk, so the saying goes. The Nolan brothers were first heard many years ago busking on Northumberland Street. As school kids, they were good, very good, superb vocal harmonies. Fast forward a few years to this evening’s Black Swan jam session. Now, as young adults, calling themselves Spilt Milk, how would they shape up? Oscar, Isaac and Theo sang Me and Mrs. Jones. Now, it takes something special to upstage Harry and Luis, but on this occasion Spilt Milk did just that. Superb!

The finishing line was coming into view. MC Grainger called on the Esther Coombes Experience to close the session. Esther, clarinet and alto sax, is one of the Black Swan jam session’s most loyal supporters and, with all onboard the ECE, they went out on Chameleon, all blowing, drummer Bailey nailing the groove. It had been quite a night. The next session will be on Tuesday, May 21. It all starts at 7:30pm but if you want a seat you know what to do…starting queuing now. Russell 

Stuart Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums) + Harry Keeble (soprano sax); Luis Verde (alto sax); Kate O'Niell (vocals); David Gray (trombone, trumpet, ocarina, vocals), Edgar Bell (trumpet); Bailey Rudd (drums); Jan Spencelayh (vocals); Murray Wankling (piano); Ian Drever (vocals); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Shayo (vocals); Esther Coombes (clarinet, alto sax); the Nolan brothers - Oscar, Isaac & Theo (the Spilt Milk vocalists)

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