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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham - May 23

© Malcolm Sinclair
Dean Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums)

The name Dean Stockdale is sufficient to ensure a sellout, as is the name Oscar Peterson. In the centenary year of the birth of the legendary Canadian pianist (15 August 1925), Darlington based Stockdale is touring his 'Celebrating Oscar' set. And here at Durham's Gala Theatre, sure enough, all seats were occupied. 

In recent times, Stockdale has appeared at venues up and down the land and further afield, including Belfast, Dublin, Paris and Brussels*. Here in Durham the Dean Stockdale Quartet opened with OP's Blues Etude. All four musicians are entirely comfortable with the material and the arrangements. 

Precision playing without sacrificing the vital component of swing, the unison lines between Stockdale and guitarist Tim  Williams were a joy to hear. Gavin Barras' melodicism is a precious commodity, perhaps the bassist should bottle it - and sell it! Drummer Gaz Hughes, playing the first of two engagements in the region today (later in the day Hughes' quartet would be headlining at Opus 4 Jazz Club in  Darlington), demonstrated that he is completely au fait with the charts and his innate sense of swing teased reassuring smiles from his bandmates. 

© Malcolm Sinclair
Noreen's Nocturne fairly rattled along, Leonard Bernstein's Tonight, thankfully sans the theatricality, worked well, and, in a well chosen set list, the Dean Stockdale Quartet went out with an expansive Wheatland, a reverential Hymn to Freedom, and a foot-tapping Night Train. If post-gig CD sales are anything to go by, the Gala's audience liked what it had been listening to. Copies of Stockdale's Celebrating Oscar album were snapped up, every single one of them.     
          
Set list: Blues Etude; Falling in Love with Love; Bossa Beguine; Noreen's Nocturne; Tonight; Wheatland; Hymn to Freedom; Night Train.

* The Dean Stockdale Quartet will be at Queen's Hall Hexham, Saturday 24 May (7:00pm) in the first of a double bill launching this year's Northumberland Jazz Festival: www.queenshall.co.uk. Russell  
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