Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
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.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thu 30: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: International Jazz Day & JANE AGM.
Thu 30: Duke Junction @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax); Jeff Hewer (guitar); Martin Longhawn (organ); Steve Hanley (drums). An International Jazz Day event & the 12th anniversary of Newcastle Jazz Co-op acquiring the Globe!

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Springtime at the Black Swan - March 18

Laurence Harrison (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums) + Kate O'Niell (vocals); Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Robert Johnson (alto sax); Martin Waugh (piano); Jen Foster  (vocals); Owen Jones (double bass); Shayo Oshodi (vocals); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Leah Kirk (vocals); Alec Gamble (guitar); ? (percussion); Liam Oliver (guitar); David Gray (trombone); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Ian Drever (vocals); Paul Skerritt (vocals); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Katrina Miller (vocals); Ruth Lambert (vocals) 

Spring is just around the corner. The Black Swan jam session continues to attract the regulars (sitting at their usual tables) and many new faces - where do they all come from? A questionnaire/survey is called for! The house trio usually comprises piano, bass and drums. This evening it was guitar, bass and drums. 

Guitarist Laurence Harrison opened with Days of Wine and Roses, Paul Grainger, bass, to his left, Tim Johnston, drums, to jam session MC Grainger's left. As guitarists go, Laurence can hold his own with any six-stringer, quite simply, a fabulous musician. Solar radiated across the room, the trio nicely warmed up. From here on in it was the usual revolving door with the many sitters-in hoping to catch MC Grainger's eye.

Front row, Kate O'Niell stepped forward two paces to sing a couple of numbers before the horn players took centre stage. Alto saxophonists Paul Ruddick and the up-and-coming Robert Johnson dovetailed nicely, PR the old hand, RJ learning on the spot - great stuff! Border raider Martin Waugh sat at the piano to play a couple of numbers. Our visiting Scot thought that was that. MC Grainger had other ideas, asking Martin to stay where he was and that's precisely what he did, a most welcome ad hoc member of the house band. 

Vocalists Jen Foster (My Favorite Things), Leah Kirk (Blues Skies) and Katrina Miller (No Moon at All) impressed, latecomers Esther Coombes (reeds) and David Gray (trombone) leapt into action - Esther laid back, David all-action. Guitarist Liam Oliver picked up Laurence Harrison's Gibson, making himself at home. And then the big hitters made their pitch - Paul Skerritt (bassist Jamie Watkins alongside) singing It Don't Mean a Thing, Ruth Lambert the tops, West Coast Blues the tune. 

The now traditional 'all-left-standing' finale wrapped things up, the Black Swan jam session wouldn't be the same without it. The next session is on Tuesday April 1. You'd be a fool to miss it.              
   
A 'big up' to Tim Johnston, house drummer for the whole session without a break. Russell
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