Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 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

18548 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 412 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 19) 66

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

May

Mon 25: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 26: Noel Dennis Sextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00. A Miles Davis centenary concert (Davis b. 26. 5. 1926). Noel Dennis (trumpet); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums). SOLD OUT!
Tue 26: Lagos to Longbenton @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 27: Neighbourhood Watch + Rivkala @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00. Rivkala (solo).

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Miles Davis & His Favourite Musicians.
Thu 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 28: Bobby Rush @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. + bf. Veteran USA bluesman.
Thu 28: Squabble @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 28: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.

Sat 30: Giles Strong Quartet @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £1.50 bf.

Sun 31: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 31: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 31: Sinfonia of London: Tea Dance @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. Free. John Wilson ensemble performing on the concourse. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin & more.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 31: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 31: Ben Haskins Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Thursday, May 30, 2024

The Tannery Jam Session, Hexham - May 29

Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums) + John Weaver (trumpet); Bailey Rudd (drums); Euan Hunter (guitar); ? (guitar); Bridget Enever (soprano sax)

The first in a new monthly jam session in Hexham attracted a decent crowd and a handful of musicians looking to sit-in. The Tannery at the bottom of Gilesgate is a two-room community hostelry offering three or four handpulls and a pub grub menu. Advertised as a seven o'clock start, the action got underway some twenty minutes late. The house trio - Tyne Valley residents Joe Steels, Paul Susans and John Hirst - played a couple of numbers before inviting the first of the hopefuls to play a couple of numbers. 

Apologising for his nerves, trumpeter John Weaver got stuck in with a straight ahead reading of Blue Bossa followed by Horace Silver's Song for my Father. Good stuff. Post graduate student drummer Bailey Rudd made the trip west from Tyneside. It's always good to see Bailey, one of the jazz scene's keenest. Having made his bow, John Weaver returned to play in duo with guitarist Euan Hunter. Not for them a standard, rather one of our trumpeter's original compositions. A jam session, original material, full marks!

Bassist Paul Susans and drummer John Hirst - that's what you could call a 'canny pairing' - returned to duty to accompany Messrs Weaver and Hunter on a spirited All of Me. Things were going well. Time for another pint of Wadsworth's 6X. 


Guitarist Joe Steels kept things moving along, inviting Bridget Enever to join the boys. Playing soprano, a relaxed-looking Enever shared the stand with several familiar faces. Leading from the front, Enever moved up through the gears as Caravan picked up the pace.  

To close this first Tannery jam session night, John Weaver returned to the fray to see it out with Night and Day. All things considered, Joe Steels and co will surely be delighted with how the evening went. The session will be a second Wednesday night in the month event. It's a 7:00pm start, audience and musicians warmly welcomed. Next one, June 12. Russell
at

1 comment :

Jon Weaver said...

Thanks for coming and for the nice review. Lookng forward to a regular session in my back-yard!

Thursday, May 30, 2024 10:42:00 pm

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive