Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18246 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 100 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 31), 100

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Press release: Sunday night @ the Globe - JazzMain

© Debra M
Scotland’s innovative ‘same-personnel’ jazz quartet, blazing a trail for that rich seam of post-bop jazz, so redolent of the 50s and 60s – a time when jazz emerged from the ‘underground’ – those small, dark 'n’ smoky subterranean haunts of downtown New York, and into the big time when the West Coast ‘Cool’ post-Bop movement brought the music into the mainstream.

JazzMain remains one of the most acclaimed, renowned, and respected groups performing today and since 2003, undertaken hundreds of gigs across the UK and Ireland.

The quartet is led by acclaimed tenor saxophonist Nick Gould, with Steve Grossart (keys), Iain Harkness (electric 5-string bass) and Kevin Dorrian (drums), making up this very engaging four-piece.

The band continually breathes fresh life into the vast known and little-known Blue Note Records’ canon – the ground-breaking label long associated with the giants of the label such as Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, and Dexter Gordon.

But there’s more – there’s a soul and funky edge to the music too – Grosvenor Washington Jnr, Stevie Wonder … even Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston are given the JazzMain treatment, honed from its vast and varied repertoire.

In recent years, JazzMain has recently undertaken projects with several renowned UK Jazz stalwarts – working with the likes of guitar maestro Jim Mullen and legendary trumpet supremo Bruce Adams.

The band’s passion for its cool and bop-style jazz remains undimmed as it nears its 20th anniversary, in paying homage to some of the greatest jazz pioneers ever. Tickets (or on the door).

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hi Lance, thank you very much for the mention. It was great to see you and the BSH team last night. Hope to see you again soon. Best Nick Gould

Lance said...

Don't thank me Nick. That was the Globe's press release! I'm working on the review of the gig which will be posted within the next half hour.

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