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.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Tuba Skinny livestreaming from the Tigermen Den - March 24

Shaye Cohn (cornet, trumpet); Craig Flory (clarinet); Barnabus Jones (trombone); Max Bien-Kahn (guitar, tenor banjo); Greg Sherman (guitar); Todd Burdick (sousaphone); Robin Rapuzzi (washboard)

The livestream. Lockdown inspired many a livestream, some more successful than others. Emmet Cohen and Rossano Sportiello continue to livestream, albeit less frequently than at the height of the pandemic, and Way Down Yonder, Tuba Skinny.  

Busking on the streets of the Crescent City, playing regular gigs and maintaining residencies at venues with evocative names (the Barnett Hotel, Buffa's Bar, Vaughan's Lounge), Tuba Skinny's latest livestream from New Orleans served as a fundraiser for the band's forthcoming cycling tour of northern Europe. Yes, that's right, during June and July the Tuba Skinny guys and gals will be cycling from gig to gig, busking along the way, hoping to pick up extra bookings to help fund their adventures.

The Tigermen Den on Royal Street (neighbouring Burgundy Street and North Rampart Street) offered Tuba Skinny the space to set up and livestream to the world. The place doesn't look up to much, more homely shack than performance space. If you've been there, tell BSH about it.  

Noon (Central Standard Time), the livestream went 'live'. Initially no sound, much toing and froing, the technical aspects of livestreaming being taken care of. Shaye Cohn and Robin Rapuzzi would share MC duties, the occasional vocals would be handled by guitarist Greg Sherman. Maple Leaf Rag opened the show. The seven piece outfit has grown a global fan base thanks to hundreds of YouTube videos (many/most uploaded by fans) and numerous recordings. One hundred plus fans were watching the stream, many posting comments. Tuba Skinny could be described as 'laid back' (almost literally!), the band performing with a nonchalance born of countless gigs and, more likely than not, thousands of hours locked away in the woodshed.

Tuba Skinny originals (including Some Kind-a-Shake and Sweet Olive) sat comfortably alongside familiar 'classic jazz' numbers (Cushion Foot Stomp and Kansas City Stomp but two of many highlights). Tuba Skinny gigging in Europe is a rarity (the UK, all but never), this summer it's time to take the bike out of the garage, give it a maintenance check and head across the Channel. Russell                                   

Set list: Maple Leaf RagMessin' AroundBallin' the JackSweet Potato BluesOnce in a WhileSweet Like ThisSome Kind-a-ShakeBellaminaEagle Ridin' PapaCushion Foot StompHot TownMagnolia StrollKansas City StompSanI'm Going to GermanyJones Law BluesCome on in.   

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