Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17838 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 159of them this year alone and, so far, 6 this month (March 3).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Jazz Music of Quincy Jones.
Thu 06: BBC Big Band @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. £32.00., £25.00., £16.00. ‘The Sound of Cinema’ featuring Emer McPartland (vocals).
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Dan Johnson (sax); Josh Bentham (sax); Gary Hadfield (keys); Adrian Beadnell (bass). A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Old Lowlight, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE. 7:00pm. £15.00. + bf. www.oldlowlight.co.uk. Rescheduled from Friday 7th February.
Fri 07: Jake Leg Jug Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Sat 08: Jamie Taylor, Graham Harvey, Andy Champion @ Divinity House Concert Hall, Palace Green Music Dept., Durham University. 7:00-9:00pm (6:30pm doors). £7.50. (£6.00. DUJS member). ‘An Evening of Jazz’. Later in the evening the trio will be joined by Freddie Krone, drums (Durham Uni final year music student).
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lagos to Longbenton @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Afrobeat, jazz-fusion.

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Wokitoki @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Tom Atkinson (drums, guitar); Sue Ferris (sax, flute); Jude Murphy (bass guitar, flute). Jazz standards, bebop, free jazz, Latin & more. Upstairs.
Sun 09: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Downstairs.
Sun 09: Zhenya Strigalev’s 2025 Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club.

Tue 11: Giles Strong Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Wednesday, March 05, 2025

The Great North Big Band Jazz Festival (Schools) - Sunday, March 2

A second day of competition, comprising school and youth categories. The first competition of the day would features school bands. The youth section would follow. Just three competition entries this year, two from the region and one from distant Telford in Shropshire. As the hall began to fill up (families, friends, big band fans) the first band took to the stage. 

Previous winners here in Chester-le-Street, all the way from Shropshire (a distance in excess of 200 miles), the thought occurred Haberdashers' Abraham Darby Senior Jazz Band (MD, Tom Gledhill) hadn't made the long journey for nothing. Abraham Darby would present four numbers for consideration. Birdland is always well received, what a great start! The band's performance of Lennie Niehaus (Northwest Journey), Neal Hefti (Li'l Darlin') and Bill Reddie's Channel One Suite suggested the Telford outfit would take some beating. 

From down the road in rural County Durham, Barnard Castle School Soul Band (MD, George Ford) would emphasise the 'soul' element of its performance. The Jacksons' I Want You Back almost had 'em up dancing, all that was lacking were the vocals! Concluding with Bruno Mars' Runaway Baby, the only question was: Would the Barnard Castle gang make off with some silverware? 

And to the third and final competition entry - Yarm School Big Band (MD, Chris Hibbard). MD Chris Hibbard didn't let on, but we were about to hear two marvellous singers (not to mention a fine band). Moanin' opened Yarm's set of four numbers. A good start. Esther Lane singing On the Sunny Side of the Street brought the house down. Playing piano (with a touch of stride into the bargain), Luke Pemberton sang Harry Connick Jr.'s version of A Wink and a Smile. Excellent! Yarm signed-off with the James Taylor Quartet's version of the Starsky and Hutch Theme. A winning performance? We would shortly find out.  

The adjudicators (Mick Donnelly and Marcus Brown) gathered their thoughts. Handing their notes to Bill Watson, the results were as follows:                                             
Adjudicators' award: Esther Lane, vocals (Yarm School) 

Adjudicators' award: Bassist (Barnard Castle School Soul Band)

Adjudicators' award: Sam Proffitt, tenor sax (Haberdashers' Abraham Darby Senior Jazz Band)

Mark Jon Bolderson Percussion Foundation award: Ollie Carey (Haberdashers' Abraham Darby Senior Jazz Band)

Best Programme: Yarm School Big Band 

Best Section: Rhythm section, Barnard Castle School Soul Band

Best Soloist: Luke Pemberton, piano & vocals (Yarm School Big Band)

Best Band: Haberdashers' Abraham Darby Senior Jazz Band
Russell
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive