Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 07: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, July 03, 2024

Black Swan jam session - July 2

On Monday evening Michael Young, Paul Grainger and Tim Johnston enjoyed working together at Sunderland's Fire Station pub/restaurant. Twenty four hours later, the trio met up in Newcastle to form the house trio at the Black Swan jam session. The usual faces took their usual seats, several newcomers took a vacant seat here and there, perhaps wondering what lay in store.

Jordu, Lullabies (a Michael Young composition), the house trio warmed up, trombonist Conor Emery the first of the hopefuls invited to join the trio. Wes Montgomery's Road Song the selection. The recent Newcastle University graduate, soon to embark upon a dream cruise ship engagement, over the last couple of years or so has proven to be one of the emerging stars on the local scene. Cast iron technique, no nonsense trombone playing, Emery was quickly joined by undergraduate tenor saxophonist Olly Styles (another 'cast iron' musician) and guitarist Stuart Turner, St Thomas and Four the selections.

From here on in, the revolving door kept on revolving: Kate O'Neill (God Bless the Child, Honeysuckle Rose), Esther Coombes (alto sax and clarinet) leading the charge on Mr PC, aided and abetted by all and sundry, including trumpeter Edgar Bell. Singer Bethany Tate tackled My Funny Valentine, it's likely we'll be hearing more from Ms. Tate. The graduate boys were in the house - Bailey Rudd, Jacob Egglestone and Jamie Watkins. It says something when MC P. Grainger, M. Young and T. Johnston went to the bar, content to leave the session in the hands of these fine young musicians. 

Lisa sang The Man I Love, long-time-no-see tenor saxophonist Ian White arrived to play Invitation and Witch Hunt, duly upping the ante. Ian...don't leave it so long next time! The other Ian, crooner Ian Drever, crooned Over the Rainbow, vocalists Remi and Cara made a cameo appearance, Freddie Richards taking a spell on drums (always good to see Freddie at the jam session) and, up from Leicester, checking out the Tyneside jazz scene, alto saxophonist Mark. 

As the big hand nudged twenty past (ten) MC Grainger called on all those left standing for an 'eyeballs out' ten minute take on Caravan. It had been just another (excellent) night at the Black Swan jam session. Russell                       

Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums) + Conor Emery (trombone); Olly Styles (tenor sax); Stuart Turner (guitar); Kate O'Neill (vocals); Esther Coombes (clarinet, alto sax); Bethany Tate (vocals); Edgar Bell (trumpet); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Bailey Rudd (drums); Lisa (vocals); Liam Oliver (guitar);  Ian White (tenor sax); Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Freddie Richards (drums); Remi Coulthard Boardman (vocals); Cara (vocals); Mark (alto sax); Ian Drever (vocals) 
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