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

18585 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 449 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 31) 103

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

Mon 01: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Mon 01: CW Stoneking @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Blues, Americana.

Tue 02: Mark Williams Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £17.00. Trio from Texas, USA.
Thu 04: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues excellence!
Thu 04: 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 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05-Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne. Screenings TBC.
Fri 05: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: House of the Black Gardenia: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). House of the Black Gardenia evening performance. Day 1/3.
Fri 05: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band + IKS Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.00. Big band double bill. IKS Big Band (Germany).
Fri 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00

Sat 06: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00.
Sat 06: IKS Big Band: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). IKS Big Band evening performance. Day 2/3.
Sat 06: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Northumbrian Revival, West Benridge Farm, nr. Morpeth NE61 3RZ. 7:30-9:30pm. £21.47 (£2.77. child). 82nd D-Day anniversary event.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 06: FILM: The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 9:30pm. £7.00., £5.00. Dir. Guillaume Maupin & Pablo Guarise.

Sun 07: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Steve Walker (trumpet).
Sun 07: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Trio: Joe Steels, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Eddie Gripper Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Magpies of Swing: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). Magpies of Swing afternoon performance. Day 3/3.
Sun 07: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 7:00pm. £12.50. Trio from Texas, USA.
Sun 07: Salty Dog @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm. £5.00. Performance in the Studio venue.
Sun 07: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Riding Mill Village Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 07: Swing Manouche @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Feat. Steve McGarvie (clarinet).

Sunday, August 25, 2024

R.I.P. Ann Alexander (Ann Alex)

I've just received the devastating news that my dear friend and BSH reviewer Ann Alexander (Ann Alex) has passed away.

It was only last month that I met up with her for lunch and she seemed fine. Eleven days ago Ann emailed me to cancel a meet-up with a mutual friend at the Bowes Railway museum saying she'd picked up a virus and been taken ill at the Laing Art Gallery.

I didn't follow it up as she made it sound very trivial - and now this!

Ann was a latecomer to jazz having been heavily involved in the local folk scene. I first met her at a writers' group and found her an interesting person and a keen supporter of the arts in all its many forms. A founder member of the Jazz Coop she was very active in those early days. Delivering leaflets and bringing a folk element into the organisation.

The photo shows Ann with Michael Garrick at a JNE concert in 2010.

I'm in a state of shock as I'm sure are all those who knew her,

Funeral details when known.

Sadly missed. Lance

14 comments :

Russell said...

Oh, hard to believe.

Hugh said...

Very sad news. I did not meet Ann, but always enjoyed reading her reviews on BSH.

R.I.P. Ann

Steve T said...

So sad; she was a very special lady. I remember her coming to a college I was working in when we had a Folk Conference; her and Martin Carthy. We had a bar underground that I always compared to a tavern in Middle Earth, and I banged my head every time, but she had no such problem. They always had good singalongs and I recall her being humble with her meagre talents on some folk type whistle but once she got going she was away. Loved her music and I'm shocked and saddened that I'll never bump into her at a concert somewhere - when you least expect it - ever again.

Vince Taylor said...

So many of us folkies are saddened to have heard this. Ann was indeed a great supporter of folk music over the years and her conversion to jazz was never quite complete (!). She continued to perform folk songs and played tunes on her tin whistle. We even allowed her to perform some jazz numbers on the Tyne Valley Folk Train on occasion. Everything she did had a lightness of touch and was delivered with a twinkle in her eye. And, yes, she was.a Globe regular as well as a founder member. I too walked with her after many a Globe gig back to the Central Station - probably her guiding me tho. We will be honouring her at the next Folk Train on Sunday 15th September. It’s a public event (search Facebook for details). All genres welcome! She was indeed a lovely woman. ❤️❤️❤️

Miriam McCormick said...

So very sad to hear this. Ann was such a lovely woman and very supportive 🖤

Jen said...

Like everyone, I am absolutely devastated to hear the sad news of Ann's passing. I am finding it hard to believe. I first met Ann at Blue Jazz Voices which was then held at the Sage. She was also a regular and willing volunteer at the Globe when I was organising the list.
Ann joined Indigo Jazz Voices at the onset in 2015 and sang with us for several years. She willingly did the advert for our gigs - the last one was June this year - and she had a wonderful creative and humorous style of writing something unique every time.
She will be very sadly missed.

Pam said...

So very sorry to read this Lance, Anne was a lovely lady and will be sorely missed. Sending love

Liza said...

Ann was such a lovely, kind, supportive person. A wonderful singer, writer, poet, ukulele player, song writer and so many other creative talents. With ever undertaken she did it with full enthusiasm and always smiling. She was the first to welcome me to the Blue Jazz Voices, she always made time for the newbies and always made time for people she met. Like so many feeling the same , it is so sad that we won't have a chance for another catch up, but your smiling face and kind words will never be forgotten. Liza

Steve T said...

She also loved writing for Bebop Spoken Here and considered it a great honour to be given a platform to discuss her likes and dislikes. She was grateful to you for that Lance and you should feel proud and comforted by it.

Holly Cooper said...

Oh no, I'm so very sorry to hear this. Ann was so supportive of our artists and I loved reading her reviews. She seemed like such a lovely, loving person. I am so sorry for your loss. Such a shock.

Lance said...

I do Steve, I do. Thank you.

Carrie McCullock said...

Ann was a member of Indigo Jazz Voices among very many other things including running the folk night at The Globe when it started. We used to walk to the metro late at night. We had some interesting conversations on our walk and walk by walk she revealed snippets of her interesting life and all the things she has been involved with. I haven’t seen her for ages and now I won’t get another opportunity. I thank her for her kindness, her enthusiasm, her light and her company on our late night ventures through the dark towards as we headed homewards.

Dave Brownlow said...

Just a comment on the sad passing of Ann, I recall the death of drummer Peter McKeith - this was exactly the same a "virus" took him in a matter of days......

I met Ann when she was keen on getting into jazz at one of the courses run by Chris Yates. We also met at gigs where we would discuss BSH etc

Anonymous said...

I am very saddened to hear the news about Ann. We met quite often at jazz gigs (and sometimes folk events) and she was always very friendly and happy to chat. While we both loved jazz, as far as I know we were the two most dedicated folk fans amongst the BSH community and would try and smuggle folk references into our reviews.
As I was keen to find out about the North East folk scene she was very generous with her time and we met on a couple of occasions when she willingly shared her detailed knowledge of local folk history and the clubs and bands past and present.
A very nice woman who will be sadly missed.
JC

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