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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

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.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Wednesday, May 07, 2025

Jam session @ the Black Swan - May 6

Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John  Hirst (drums) + Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Leah Kirk (vocals); Robert Johnson (alto sax); Shayo Oshodi (vocals); Liam Oliver (guitar); Rich Millington (drums); Carl Peacock (piano); Ian Drever (vocals); Edgar Bell (trumpet, Monk shuffle); Jan Spencelayh (vocals); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Owen Jones (double bass); ? (guitar); Diane (vocals); Oscar Nolan (vocals); Theo Nolan (vocals, drums); Jen Foster (vocals)

As Black Swan jam sessions go, this evening's session was strangely quiet. It's exam season - both school and university - and the absence of many younger faces was all too apparent.* The house trio warmed up with a choice selection: Four, Ponciana and Close Your Eyes. Messrs Law, Grainger and Hirst are the ideal candidates for an open  jam session. They're always on top of the material and any newbies are made welcome, quickly realising they're in a supportive environment.   

The Ruddicks were the first to get the nod. Paul Ruddick needs little introduction nor support, the experienced alto saxophonist every bit as supportive to other, perhaps less experienced, sitters-in. Trumpeter Shivan, not quite out of school, really shone this evening, not least on Roland Kirk's Serenade to a Cuckoo. Father and son made rounded, concise contributions, Shivan coming on in leaps and bounds.

Second year music student Leah Kirk is another who has found her feet, Frank Loesser's Never Will I Marry a good choice (Leah's tutor is Ruth Lambert...). Shayo Oshodi sang No Moon at All accompanied by Tyne Valley alto saxophonist Robert Johnson (another one not quite out of school). Impressive!

Rich Millington sat in (John Hirst making a beeline for the bar), Carl Peacock sat in (Alan Law making a beeline for the bar) as Ian 'Union Jack' Drever made his individual contribution to VE Day celebrations with a highly distinctive take on Rodgers and Hart's The Lady is a Tramp. It is reported Messerschmitts were seen turning back. 

Jan Spencelayh arrived from the Deep South (Teesside), singing This Masquerade, Jan's friend Diane sang My Baby Just Cares for Me, they'll be back. 

Earlier, Well You Needn't inspired bugler Edgar Bell to give us a few Thelonious Monk dance steps. The phrase: Don't give up your day job, sprung to mind. Later, much later, it was all hands on deck. Spotters reported no sightings of the fleeing Messerschmitts. All guns blazing, the Black Swan jam session went out in typical uptempo bebop fashion.     
         
* Newcastle University music student recitals are underway. Some of those with a Black Swan jam session connection are shortly to present their second or third stage recitals. Open to the public, the recitals in the Music Studios (Band Room), Assembly Lane (behind Blackwell's Bookshop) are scheduled as follows: Thursday 8 May: 10:00am Jay Straughan (drums); 3:00pm Olly Styles (saxophone); Wednesday 14 May: 3:00pm Leah Kirk (voice).  Russell     
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