Bebop Spoken There

Ethan Hawke (starring as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon): ''Larry [Lorenz] Hart would be so happy that his music and his words and his poetry are still alive.'' - The Northern Echo 27 November 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

18000 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 964 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 24).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sat 06: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 06: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Minor Swing. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 06: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 06: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76 (inc. bf).
Sat 06: Kaberry Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. (inc. hot buffet). ‘Christmas 1945’. Kaberry Big Band, formerly Vermont Big Band.
Sat 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, Bedlington. 7:30pm. £6.00. Rhythm & blues.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. Xmas Party with buffet.
Sat 06: The Jive Aces @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £22.00., £20.00.
Sat 06: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.

Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.

Fri 12: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 12: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £15.00. ‘Xmas Soiree’.
Fri 12: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. Paul Edis (MD, piano); Jo Harrop (vocals); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax); Matthew Forster (alto sax, clarinet); Sue Ferris (flute, piccolo); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone);Emma Fisk (violin); Andy Champion (double bass); Matt MacKellar (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 12: Tony Hadley: Xmas Big Band Tour 2025 @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Fri 12: Alexia Gardner @ The New Ship Inn, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. 8:00pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy, Abbie Finn.
Fri 12: Jive Aces: Swingin’ Xmas Show @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm.

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

Monday, September 30, 2024

Press release: Meet the promoters making a difference to emerging talent across the North of England.

Today, Jazz North announces the seven promoters awarded bursaries to present emerging artists in their programmes through its support scheme, New Northern. 

Bursaries up to £1000 were awarded to the North West Music Academy (Barrow-in-Furness), Paul Rigby (The Continental, Preston), Nanette Brimble (YardFest, Saltaire), Anna Ross (Offshoots in Leeds), Robert Walker (Scarborough Jazz), DJ Lubi (Leeds) and Wesley Stephenson’s New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings (Newcastle-upon-Tyne). 

Chris Bye, Jazz North CEO, says: “Jazz North is thrilled to support the work of promoters across the North of England who are working to keep grassroots music alive and support that all important pipeline of talent in the North.”

North West Music Academy 

North West Music Academy (NWMA) is developing a 4 storey heritage building in the heart of Barrow-in-Furness into a dedicated centre for music education & performance. As part of this they are establishing a regular platform for jazz - launching a micro-festival in 2025 which will become an annual event.

Big Bands @ The Continental Preston - Paul Rigby 

Paul Rigby will present big bands at The continental in Preston. The events will showcase young and old talent but most of all give aspiring musicians in a big band setting a much needed voice to help hone their craft to jazz. Expect many a full house which young and old attend and appreciate exciting music from swing to funk.

YardFest @ Caroline Street Social Club - Nanette Brimble

Jazz North is supporting the fortnightly YardFest Jazz night in Saltaire, Bradford by topping up its ability to fund a varied programme to include more local emerging artists. 

Offshoots - Anna Ross

Offshoots is a jazz, experimental and avant-garde event which takes part in independent venues across Leeds. The aim of Offshoots is to give a platform to a diverse range of new musicians and provide a safe and non-judgemental experience for musicians to gain experience performing live. 

Scarborough Jazz - Robert Walker

Through New Northern, Scarborough Jazz will support fees for emerging artists presented  through their longstanding schemes Scarborough Jazz Introduces and New Jazz Generation. The first of these is an event at Scarborough Jazz which takes place on Wednesday 2nd. October (The Cask) and features the Jascha Bingham Trio. Find out more:  http://www.scarboroughjazz.co.uk/

DJ Lubi @ Hyde Park Book Club, Headrow House, Brudenell Social Club and Belgrave MusicHall - Lubi Jovanovic 

DJ Lubi will  present a program of contemporary jazz and world jazz at four venues across Leeds (Hyde Park Book Club, Headrow House, Brudenell Social Club, Belgrave Music Hall) featuring emerging Leeds artists - both professional and student musicians - taking place from October 2024 to February 2025 (9 gigs). 

New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings - Wesley Stephenson 

New Northern funding will enable a brand new release through New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings with a supporting album launch concert in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings project was established during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, offering a creative output for musicians when live performance opportunities were unavailable and encouraging artist independence.

www.newjazzandimprovisedmusicrecordings.bandcamp.com

On being awarded the bursary, Wesley Stephenson says: “New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings is delighted receive support from New Northern to help enable the longevity of the recording project and to continue supporting exceptional improvised music in the North of England.”

For more information on upcoming events supported by New Northern, sign up to Jazz North’s mailing list: https://www.jazznorth.org/sendmemail

No comments :

Blog Archive