Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18699 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 573 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 11) 27

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

July

Tue 14: Vieux Carre Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £15.00 (reservations: 0191 237 3697). ‘July Jazz Barbecue!’
Tue 14: Crook Little Brass Bash @ Crook Community Centre. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Tue 14: Barnard Castle Little Brass Bash @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Tue 14: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Tickets from Tully’s, Rothbury. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Tue 14: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Willington Big Brass Bash @ Town Park, Willington. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Wed 15: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Café Needle’s Eye, Promenade, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea NE64 6XE. 6:00pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 15: Side Café Orkestar @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00 (£11.00. adv.); £12.00 concs (£8.00. concs adv.).

Thu 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 16: Spennymoor Big Brash Bash @ Jubilee Park, Spennymoor. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Thu 16: Coxhoe Little Brass Bash @ Village Green (Pit Wheel). 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Thu 16: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Thu 16: Stevie Jay Duo @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Julija Jacenaite & Steve Glendinning.
Thu 16: DK Harrell @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf. USA blues.
Thu 16: 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 17: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Seaham Big Brass Bash @ Terrace Green, Seaham. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Fri 17: Newton Aycliffe Big Brass Bash @ Town Park, Newton Aycliffe. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Fri 17: Ray Stubbs R&B Allstars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm.
Fri 17: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Repas 7 by Night, Berwick. 8:00pm. Free. Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 8:00pm. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.

Sat 18: Streets of Brass @ Market Place, Durham City. 10:00am-4:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands.
Sat 18: Brass Boat Cruise @ Boathouse, Elvet Bridge Jetty, Durham City. Departures at 10:30am, 12 noon, 1:30pm, 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £5.00 (all prices + bf). Durham Brass Festival. Various bands.
Sat 18: Party in the Park @ Wharton Park, Durham City. 5:00-9:00pm. Free. Durham Brass Festival. Multi-bill of street brass bands. Entrance o/s Durham Railway Station (Northbound platform).
Sat 18: Zoë Gilby & Dean Stockdale @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm.
Sat 18: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00.
Sat 18: Tyne Valley Big Band + Revolutionaires @ Pelton Community Centre. 7:00pm. A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sat 18: Dale Storr @ The Straw Yard, The Barracks, Berwick. 7:30pm. £15.38. Solo piano.
Sat 18: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Red Lion Inn, Alnmouth. 8:30pm. Free. Lollo Rosso, Morpeth. 8:00pm. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.

Sun 19: Brass Boat Cruise @ Boathouse, Elvet Bridge Jetty, Durham City. Departures at 10:30am, 12 noon, 1:30pm, 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £5.00 (all prices + bf). Durham Brass Festival. Various bands.
Sun 19: Jacob Egglestone Trio @ The Bandstand, The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free.
Sun 19: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bishop Auckland Town hall. 2:00pm. £7.00 (inc. bf). A Durham Brass Festival event.
Sun 19: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 19: Michael Young Trio @ Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 19: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 19: SwanNek @ The Bandstand, The Sele, Hexham. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Nomade Swing: Dos Guitars Trio @ Twelve 06, High St., Newbiggin-by-the-Sea NE64 6DR. 3:00pm. Free. Luco Allievi, Alessandro Brizio, Mariano Gallizio. ‘A Journey Through Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Soul & Pop’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sun 19: Dale Storr: The Sounds of New Orleans @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Solo piano. POSTPONED!

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Mejedi Owusu w. Francis Tulip Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Monday, July 22, 2024

British Jazz Hall of Fame/Living Legends 2024

Last month BSH invited a number of its contributors, broadcasters, musicians, promoters and other jazz notables to nominate up to ten musicians in no particular order or genre to form the basis of a by invitation annual poll. Forty-five invitations were issued and thirty-five responded* with 92 names being nominated in the British Jazz Hall of Fame section (those jazz musicians who have passed)  and 105 in the Living Legends. Not everyone picked ten (some wanted more) and not everyone submitted nominations in both categories. Musicians who achieved their greatest recognition in America such as George Shearing and Marian McPartland were deemed ineligible although borderline cases such as Feldman, Holland and Temperley were considered acceptable. Below are the top ten placings. Lance

British Jazz Hall of Fame

1. Stan Tracey                           25

2. Tubby Hayes                         23 

3. Humphrey Lyttelton          21

3. Ronnie Scott                         21

5. John Dankworth                 18

6. Joe Harriott                          12 

7. Peter King                              11

8. Chris Barber                         10 

9. Bobby Wellins                        8

9. Phil Seaman                            8


Living Legends


1. Alan Barnes                    16 

1. Norma Winstone            16 

3. Cleo Laine                          14 

4. Dave Green                     12 

4. John Surman                  12 

6. Dave Holland                  11 

7. Courtney Pine                 10 

7. Henry Lowther               10 

7. John McLaughlin           10 

10. Art Themen                     9 

10. Evan Parker                    9 

10. Tommy Smith                  9   

*(Contributors) Chris Kilsby,  Colin Aitchison, Colin Muirhead, Cormac Loane, Dave Brownlow, Dave Clarke, Dave Sayer, Digby Fairweather, Frank Griffith, Gordon Solomon, Hugh Cochrane, Joan Parker, Ken Drew, Lance Liddle, Maurice Summerfield, Mike Farmer, Neil Todd, Pam Young, Patti Durham, Paul Bream, Peter Bevan, Rob Adams, Roly Veitch, Ron Ainsborough, Ron Hampton, Ros Rigby, Russell Corbett, Sebastian Scotney, Simon Spillett, Steve Andrews, Steve Rubie, Steve Tulip, Tony Eales, Tony Roberts, Wes Stephenson.

12 comments :

Steve T said...

Let the arguments begin.

Fred Lindop said...

Shouldn't Don Weller be in the hall of fame, along with Bobby Wellins. Think Art Themen might be surprised he's there and Don not.

Lance said...

Thanks for your comment Fred. At the end of the day it's all down to the individual choices. Don Weller, deservedly, did get votes but just missed out on the joint top 9/10. Likewise Don Rendell.

Re Art, as he's still with us, he and Don were nominated in different categories.

Hugh said...

As Steve T observes these sort of ranking exercises are bound to create a certain amount of dissonance! I subscribe to BBC Music Magazine which regularly features such polls on different topics. The letters pages are full of "why wasn't so and so in the list when whatstheirname is?" etc., etc. for about six months afterwards.

Patrick Hinely said...

Kenny Wheeler not being included is a glaring omission.

Lance said...

Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger! Kenny Wheeler, like quite a few just missed out on top ten status. When the dust settles, I'll post the lower positions.

Woody Caan said...

The posthumous Hall of Fame seems all male. Could I suggest one astonishing female, the late great Tina May?

Hugh said...

I did suggest Barbara Thompson...

...in retrospect (the retrospectoscope is a great instrument!) I could also have mentioned Kathy Stobart.

Ken D said...

An interesting, and brave excecise to carry out! Well done Lance for pulling this together, I guess for general interest, and it's raised some responses/discussion as expected. Given that there are only 2 categories, and respondents didn't have to list their chosen names in any particular order (pulling out the names is always going to give you just short of 10, or many more than 10) but a non-ranked list of 10 was asked for. The resultant two 'rankings' are really just the popularity amongst the respondents which is a small sample of the jazz fraternity who read BSH. But 197 names emerged. I'd be interested in seeing the lower-down suggestions. I also wonder if names belong in 'contribution to jazz' or simply 'popularity' ? Oh, here we go again ! Roll on 2025 :)

Steve T said...

Interesting observation by Ken D. I'm guessing the suggestion is that it ought to be 'contribution to jazz' as opposed to personal preference - itself open to subjectivity - though perhaps more demonstrable. If we were to also take out the word 'British', you could almost certainly take out all of the nominations we know so far, with the exception of John McLaughlin who - provided we can agree it's jazz - should certainly score higher than he has here.

This does not necessarily suggest that Americans (or others) do/did it better - though I personally think they do/did - but perhaps points to a distinctly British jazz, of which McLaughlin isn't necessarily a part. Interestingly, I have a dreadful and pretty large book about European jazz-rock which excludes Mahavishnu on the basis that they weren't all European (though three out of five of the original line-up were) and had an even greater impact stateside.

Furthermore, though I don't know all of my fellow contributors, I suspect we are mostly of an age and I imagine, had younger people been polled, it would have been virtually unrecognisable.

Hugh said...

"Of an age"!!...


...speak for yourself Steve - and me ;-)

Steve T said...

Young Wesley bringing the average age down.

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