Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: 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 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Press release: NN North Sea Jazz Festival 2025 reveal the first wave of artists for this year's festival

The NN North Sea Jazz Festival, the world’s largest indoor music festival, has revealed the first wave of artists for its return to the Ahoy Centre in Rotterdam this July. Taking place from Friday July 11 to Sunday July 13, 2025, this year’s event will feature a star-studded line-up of international talent alongside the most celebrated up-and-coming artists spanning jazz, blues, soul, pop and more.

Amongst the 30+ artists announced today are a multitude of jazz heavyweights including 4x Brit Award-nominated Ezra Collective, vocal sensation Samara Joy, virtuoso guitarist Julian Lage, Armenian-born pianist-composer Tigran HamasyanKurt Elling & Yellowjackets celebrating Weather Report, boundary-pushing Israeli trumpeter Avishai Cohen’s Quartet, multi-award-winning singer Jazzmeia Horn, Lionel Hampton Big Band featuring Jason Marsalis, Snarky Puppy alumni Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth’s fusion outfit Ghost-Note, and a sparkling array of visionary US saxophonists including Kamasi WashingtonImmanuel WilkinsBranford Marsalis and Lakecia Benjamin.

This year’s program is anchored by Jacob Collier, the festival’s 2025 Artist in Residence. The six-time Grammy winner will perform across all three days, presenting unique and varied shows that reflect his dazzling musical versatility.

A selection of stars from across the worlds of soul, blues, pop and beyond will also grace the North Sea stages in 2025 with this year’s line-up featuring the likes of Lady BlackbirdMadeleine Peyroux, Jorja SmithAnoushka ShankarJordan RakeiMaxwell, and blues-rock guitar maestro Joe Bonamassa with the Metropole Orkest.

Full line-up to date is below and additional names will be announced in due course.

Attracting around 80,000 music fans annually, the North Sea Jazz Festival has earned an unrivalled reputation since its debut in 1976, having hosted legendary artists over the years such as Miles Davis, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, and Adele to name but a few. This summer the festival will feature more than 1,000 musicians across 150 performances and 15 different stages. With Rotterdam just under an hour’s flight, a direct train from London St Pancras, or even a ferry trip from multiple UK locations, the North Sea Jazz Festival is easily accessible, making it an ideal weekend getaway.


NN North Sea Jazz Festival 2025 – Rotterdam Ahoy Centre

Friday July 11:
 Avishai Cohen (trumpet) Quartet, Branford Marsalis Quartet, DeWolff, Ezra Collective, Jacob Collier (artist in residence), Jordan Rakei, Judith Hill, Julian Lage, Madeleine Peyroux, Omah Lay, Victor Ray

Saturday July 12: Aja Monet, Fujii Kaze, Ghost-Note, Jacob Collier (artist in residence), Joe Bonamassa & Metropole Orkest, Jonathan Jeremiah, Lionel Hampton Big Band featuring Jason Marsalis, Mary Halvorson Amaryllis Sextet, Maxwell, Naomi Sharon, Samara Joy

Sunday July 13: Anoushka Shankar, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Jacob Collier (artist in residence), Jazzmeia Horn, Jorja Smith, Kamasi Washington, Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets celebrate Weather Report, Lady Blackbird, Lakecia Benjamin, Thee Sacred Souls, Tigran Hamasyan

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