Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

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

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Northern jazz promoters are invited to apply for bursaries up to £1000

Jazz North’s latest support scheme welcomes applications from grassroots and independent promoters working in jazz

The bursaries will support fees and costs for northern emerging artists and support acts  

New Northern is Jazz North’s promoter bursary to support live emerging talent. It supports promoters to programme emerging northern artists by underwriting risk and helping pay essential costs. 

Designed both to support emerging artists in the north and give an injection of cash to promoters who need it, this easy-access scheme offers a quick intervention to northern grassroots promoters facing difficult financial circumstances. 

Chris Bye, Jazz North CEO, says: 

Promoters are the beating heart of local jazz scenes. With this next round New Northern, Jazz North continues a long tradition of support for our regional promoters and programmers. 

Jazz North is proud to support those bringing through the next wave of talent and who remain essential to the northern jazz ecology.”

Last year, Jazz North awarded ten £500 bursaries to promoters across the North: No Such Thing Records (Manchester), ParrJazz (Liverpool), Melodic Distraction (Liverpool), Footprints Jazz Club (Sheffield), Live @ Union Lane (Brampton), Jazz Club at The Grayston Unity (Halifax), JazzLeeds, Discontinued (Leeds) and The Wombat Jazz Club (Liverpool).

With help from this small bursary, promoters delivered remarkable work across the north: 

“The first Mutant Jazz event was supported by Jazz North and has established a vibrant new event brand supporting diverse jazz artists and building an inclusive, ticket-buying audience.

[…]All the events sold out and have become a sustainable and talked-about regular feature of the Liverpool and Northern jazz scene.”

Previous recipient, Parr Jazz, run New Northern supported event Mutant Jazz at Metrocola in September 2023

Image Credit: Milli @florintein



Ni Maxine, on behalf of Wombat Jazz Club: 

“As an early-career promoter with artist experience at the heart, producing grassroots events, receiving this support not only gave us the confidence that we were doing something right, but also opened us up to new audiences and a network of similar promoters, which has been really insightful.“ 

New Northern is open for applications until midday on Monday 2nd September. 

Interested applicants can sign up to an ‘Applying to New Northern’ workshop on Tuesday 6th August, 4.30-5.30PM or receive the video recording. 

Visit https://www.jazznorth.org/new-northern for more information and to apply.

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