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, June 19, 2024

A mid-summer's night Black Swan jam session - June 18

Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums) + David Gray (trombone, flugelhorn, vocals); Stuart Turner (guitar); Harry Keeble (tenor sax, piano); Abbie Finn (drums); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Theo Nolan (drums, vocals); Kate O'Neill (vocals); Edgar Bell (trumpet); Conor Emery (trombone); Bailey Rudd (drums); Debra Milne (vocals); John Rowland (tenor sax); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Ian Drever (vocals); Oscar Nolan (vocals)

Midsummer, as the queue began to form in Newcastle Arts Centre's pleasant courtyard, at long last some early evening sunshine. Doors at seven, down the stairs, a front row sofa claimed, a bottle of Styrian Blonde (Great North Eastern Brewing Co.), we were all set for another Black Swan jam session.

The house trio - Stu Collingwood (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass), Tim Johnston (drums) - got things underway in somewhat unusual fashion...Stu taking a vocal on Don't Get Around Much Anymore. A summery Wave, then the first of the hopefuls...'Showtime', that's multi-brass instrumentalist David Gray, singing and playing flugelhorn on My Funny Valentine, accompanied by the excellent Stuart Turner, guitar. From here on in the merry-go-round never stopped, tenor sax star (and pianist!) Harry Keeble impressed yet again, likewise star drummer Abbie Finn on a marvellous, slow reading of I'm Old Fashioned. 

A Kate O'Neill-Stu Collingwood duo take on The Man I Love worked well (the figure of Edgar Bell lurking in the shadows). The Ruddicks were in the house, father Paul (alto sax) and son Shivan (trumpet). The Night Has a Thousand Eyes certainly upped the tempo! Debra Milne arrived, jumping aboard a rip-roaring Caravan accompanied by Conor Emery ('bone), John Rowland (tenor), Bailey Rudd (drums) and, in his element, MC Paul Grainger. Watermelon Man (Bailey's 'in-the-pocket' drumming), a brief two-song contribution from Sinatra wannabe Ian Drever, an excellent In A Mellow Tone featuring Conor E, John R and the laid back Esther Coombes (alto sax and clarinet), we were hurtling towards the finishing line. 

Oscar Nolan joined twin brother Theo to sing What a Difference a Day Makes - these guys really can sing! And then it was all aboard the A Train to Queen's, Brooklyn, into Manhattan and on to the end of the line, Westgate Road, Newcastle. Just another night at the Black Swan. Next one, Tuesday July 2, half past seven. Russell   
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