Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: 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 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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
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