Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 2025

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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

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

Sunday, June 23, 2024

Album review: Mark Winkler - The Rules Don't Apply

Mark Winkler (vocals)+ (collective): John Beasley, Rich Eames, Greg Gordon-Smith, Jamieson Trotter (piano); Gabe Davis, Dan Lutz (bass); Clayton Cameron, Dan Schnell (drums); Kevin Winard (percussion); George Doering, Grant Geissman (guitar); Katisse Buckingham (tenor sax, flute); Danny Janklow (tenor/alto sax, flute); Bob Sheppard (clarinet); Scott Mayo (baritone sax); Errol Rhoden (tuba); Brian Swartz (trumpet); Scott Whitfield (trombone).

I'm confused! This delightful album was reviewed on BSH on January 24 this year by Ann Alex - read HERE. Now, as it isn't due for release until this coming Friday (June 28) it got me to thinking that our Ann has been blessed with those powers associated with Mystic Meg and maybe she could apply them to next Saturday's Northumberland Plate (two miles, 56 yards and off at 3:35pm) in horse racing, inside information is always useful.

The truth is probably more natural than supernatural as Winkler has a launch concert coming up at Pizza Express, Soho, on July 9 which features, alongside himself, Jim Watson, Laurence Cottle, Luke Tomlinson, Nigel Price and Claire Martin OBE. On the strength of the album it sounds like a good gig and it won't end with you tearing up betting slips.

Getting back to the album Ann nails it when she writes: 'a terrific swinging style, and a talent for writing effective lyrics'. I'll second that - the line from Here's to Jazz - 'Jazz is a many-splendoured thing' is the reason I'm writing this and you're reading it.

As regards the Northumberland Plate - blindfold me and hand me a pin. Lance

Sunday in LA*, IGY (What a Beautiful World), The Joy of Singing*, In Love in New York*, Got to Get You Into my Life, The Rules Don't Apply, Something so Right, Just Around the Corner*, If These Walls Could Talk (They'd Sing)*, Jazz Swings*, Mama Told me Not to Come, Lessons I've Learned*, Here's to Jazz*  

*Lyrics by Mark Winkler

2 comments :

Russell said...

Inside information can be useful in political circles...

Ann Alex said...

Lance, This gets stranger than you think because this weekend I've had an earworm going round in my head of the song Mama Told Me Not To Come and it's on this album, so what is going on?
Yes Russell, I should have had a bet on the date of the election. I would give the winnings to BSH funds, that is if BSH had any funds, which it doesn't.

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