Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Sun 27: Salty Dog @ The Cluny. 12:30pm (doors). Free (donations).
Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Zach Sewell-Lara Hopper Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 27: Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED to Sunday 4 October.
Sun 27: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Alex Hitchcock Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Mon 28: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ Hepscott Parish Hall. 7:30pm. . £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Tue 29: Red Kites Jazz @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Vintage Explosion @ The Cluny, Newcastle - March 15

© Russell
William Hitchell (vocals, guitar); Duncan Kennedy (guitar); ? (piano); ? (tenor sax); Barry Steele (baritone sax); Richard Anderson (double bass); Douglas Macfarlane (drums) 

Anything Scott Bradlee (Postmodern Jukebox) can do (two billion views on YouTube), William Hitchell can do too. Bradley uploaded music videos in his Astoria, NYC apartment and global fame followed. Glaswegian Hitchell posted a video and went to bed. The following day, to his amazement, Hitchell found that overnight his video had been viewed 2.5m times and no fewer than 135,000 emails were in his inbox, many offering him gigs all over the world. 

© Russell
Vintage Explosion is a phenomenon. Constant touring, several album releases (2024's Saturday Night the latest), a growing fan base, the band's Newcastle gig sold out months ago. The Cluny couldn't have been busier. For those who know the venue - a split level space, seats at a premium, partially restricted sightlines - the joint was jumpin'. Fully ninety minutes before the band hit the stage, the all-ticketed audience queued and queued and queued...

Seemingly everyone had a (plastic glass) drink in hand (the one handpull on the bar didn't last long). As the lights went down the air of anticipation across the crowded room was palpable. Rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues and the voice of the Main Man, William Hitchell - wow! Was this Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club or a Glaswegian singer killing 'em down in the Ouseburn? Sensational! Bootin' horns, hot dance floor guitar licks, honky-tonk piano, propulsive, slap-happy bass playing, Vintage Explosion sure can put on a show! 

The Wanderer and Runaround Sue had 'em singing along with Hitchell/Dion. You've Really Got a Hold on Me, a riotous Shake, Rattle and Roll (Joe Turner would have been impressed!), a screaming Lucille, we were witness to a non-stop revue, Hitchell and band looking the part in their black jacket and tie penguin suits. Was that sweat dripping off the walls? And then the moment many in the sold out audience had been waiting for...A Change is Gonna Come. Wow wee! What a voice!

Fully ninety minutes later Vintage Explosion left the stage. A foot-stomping, hollering crowd wanted more. A quick change to pristine white dinner jacket and Hitchell returned to the stage alone, this time with a guitar in hand. A most unlikely choice for an encore, My Way, couldn't be anything other than a communal sing along. Against the odds, it worked! Hitchell's band joined him for the 'outer' of all outers...Johnny B. Goode. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Russell

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