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

18721 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 585 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 18) 49

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

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 23: Side Café Orkestar @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Balkan, Hot Club, Klezmer.
Thu 23: 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 24: Lindsay Hannon Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 25: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. Cheek to Cheek - Ella Fitgerald. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café (within Next), MetroCentre, Gateshead. 2:00-3:00pm. Free.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Bright Street Big Band @ Sandhaven Amphitheatre, South Shields. 3.30-5.30pm.
Sun 26: Jo Harrop & Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.
Sun 26: King Bees @ Luckies, Jesmond, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: Liam & Shayo @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Liam Oliver (guitar), Shayo Oshodi (vocals).

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Press release: Alison Rayner Quintet (ARQ) @ the Globe this Sunday (March 16)

© Ken Drew
Led by bassist and composer Alison Rayner, multi award-winning quintet ARQ are widely celebrated from 10 years of extensive UK and European touring across a complete range of jazz clubs, concert halls and international festivals as well as being critically acclaimed for their three album releases August (2014) , A Magic Life (2016) and Short Stories (2019). All have garnered extensive press acclaim and international radio play, with Rayner also winning a coveted Ivor Novello Composer Award for There is a Crack in Everything from Short Stories.

This year, ARQ celebrates 10 years of contributing to the cultural jazz landscape with their fourth album of collaborative, newly composed and original music SEMA4*, recorded live in summer 2024.

 

Richly nuanced compositions, rhythmic interplay and folk-infused melodies, ARQ play ‘songs without words’ carrying a strong sense of narrative and cinematic quality. The group are lauded for their vibrant, communicative performances and the newly-recorded material on SEMA4 is as engaging, imaginative and groovy as ever.

 

ARQ are:

Alison Rayner (bass); Buster Birch (drums); Deirdre Cartwright (guitar); Diane McLoughlin (tenor/soprano sax); Steve Lodder (piano).

 

PRESS
“Bright, open jazz music that rejoices in human experience without sentimentalising it” ★★★★ BBC Music Magazine.


“Memories brought to life” ★★★★ The Observer.


“Tells its tales through strong melodies, sinewy rhythms and luminous solos, by turns tender and exuberant” ★★★★ All About Jazz.


“ARQ have come up with another impeccable album” ★★★★½ thejazzmann.com.


“Vibrant and melodic originals from this closely integrated outfit” Jazz Journal – review of 2024 Scarborough Jazz Festival.


“Rayner’s a traveller, on land and in the mind, and her distinctive, quirky but always groovy compositions somehow lend themselves to live-performance enhancement without the band’s concentrated energy ever dissipating” Nigel Jarrett – Abergavenny Jazz Festival.


*ARQ’s latest album: SEMA4 was also reviewed on BSH (just mentioning…)

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