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).

Friday, July 25, 2025

BBC Proms: 'Round Midnight with Soweto Kinch @ the Fire Station, Sunderland - July 24


It's not every gig that I get to sit next to the city's mayor and mayoress and even rarer when the aforementioned dignitaries, in this case Sunderland's Councillor Ehthesham Haque and Councillor Lynda Scanlan, shake my hand. 

This was one of those occasions of being in the right place at the right time. The mayoral couple sat to my left whilst, to my right was north east folk legend Alistair Anderson. As I was, so to speak, piggy in the middle, after they had shaken hands, noblesse oblige dictated mine too was shaken.

The occasion, at Sunderland's cultural venue the Fire Station, was an 'out of town' BBC Prom presented in conjunction with Soweto Kinch's late night Radio 3 jazz show 'Round Midnight.

Headlining the two hour long, three act, no interval, concert was:

Theo Croker (electronics, trumpet, vocals );   Idris Frederick (piano, keys); Eric Wheeler (bass); Jeremiah Collier (drums) + Soweto Kinch (tenor sax).

I'd caught Croker live at the Glasshouse last year so I knew that once the electronic chicanery had been reduced to a minimum I'd hear some fine trumpet playing as well as some dynamic drumming, boss bass playing from an instrument that, sizewise, could have been a cello and keyboard wizardry on both the grand and the 'lecky'.  As a bonus, linkman Kinch sat in and blew some tenor. 

Programme included some or all of the following: 4KNOWLEDGE; Amen Waters; 64 Joints; one pillow; prelude 3; Hero Stomp. 

Soweto also had a blast with the Joe Webb Trio:
Joe Webb Trio: Joe Webb (piano); Will Sach (double bass); Kai MacRae (drums) + Soweto Kinch (tenor sax)

This was ostensibly a tribute to Oscar Peterson although, apart from the opener, it could have been a tribute to any pianist from Scott Joplin to Keith Jarrett as seen through the eyes of Oscar. Such is the talent of Webb that no challenge is too great. Engaging banter between Joe and Soweto on a variety of topics some of which wouldn't have been out of place across the river at the Stadium of Light was good fun. Oh yes and special mention of Sach whose first solo of the night drew the first round of applause. Kai MacRae was a new name to me. He slotted in well.

Programme: Noreen's Nocturne (comp. O. Peterson); Like Sach; Goal Mouth Scramble; Correze; Oscar.
 
Rivkala: Rivkala (vocals); Faye MacCalman (tenor sax, clarinet); Ben Lawrence (piano, keyboards); Luke Elgie (bass guitar); Mark Johnson (drums)

The Lord Mayor's show (literally) began with what Rivkala described as depicting a cabaret club at midnight. Authentically attired in a slinky black dress la chanteuse presented a selection of songs from her recent album Crushed Velvet. Ably supported by MacCalman on tenor and clarinet, Lawrence on keys/piano, along with Elgie and Johnson on bass and drums it was a good set that projected the singer's stagecraft to perfection.

Programme included some or all of the following: My Face; Zip Lock Teeth; Crawl; Chess; Costume Party; Pedestal; Losing Horses.

Jambone: Jason Holcomb (MD, trombone) & ensemble

Earlier the Glasshouse based youth band Jambone, led by Jason Holcomb, gave a spirited performance that crossed the decades with a varied programme that included St. Louis Blues and Tuxedo Junction alongside more contemporary numbers. I also got to shake hands with Tom, a member of the BBC production team. I was moving amongst high society tonight the only one missing was Régis le Bris!

Quite a memorable evening*. Lance

*Last night's concert will be broadcast tonight (Friday) on Soweto's extended Radio 3 'Round Midnight programme (starting at 11:00pm). 

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