Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18844 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 708 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 27) 77.

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.

Thu 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 03: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Feat. Ian Bosworth (guitar); Ron Hampton (guitar); Riche Emmerson (tenor sax); Dan Johnson (tenor sax, alto sax); Garry Hadfield (keyboards); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums).

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: FUNK: new musicians collective @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.00. Line-up inc. Chris Caygill & Daniel Chandler.
Fri 04: The Upside + Lagos to Longbenton @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00. Ska, funk, Afro-fusion & more.

Sat 05: Alligator Gumbo @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 05: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Hartlepool Art Gallery. 4:00-6:15pm. £6.00. Concert performance. Tickets available from the venue - tel: 01429 869706.
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Ian Bosworth (guitar); Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Jeremy McMurray (keyboards); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums) & guest Mick Donnelly (tenor sax).
Sun 06: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Ropner Park, Stockton. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Nils Kavanagh Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 08: Seijiro Murayama Jean Luc Guionnet @ Star & Shadow Cinema Co-op, Warwick St., Newcastle, NE2 1BB. 7.00pm. £10.00 (advance). £12.00 (on door). £.15.00 (solidarity).
Tue 08: SH#RP Collective @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 08: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club. 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Wed 09: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE. Excellent trio.

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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