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

18602 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 466 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 8) 17

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 09: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne.
Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 09: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 8:10pm. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne.

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 10: John Garner & John Pope @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: MNO of the GASbook.
Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:45pm. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne.
Thu 11: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 11: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Thu 11: 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 11: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 11: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free

Fri 12: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 12: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Tanton (trumpet, vocals); Law (piano).
Fri 12: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 12: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Cleveland Bay Hotel, Eaglescliffe. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 13: Ladies of Midnight Blue + Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington NE63 9YF. Free. From 10:00am. Ladies of Midnight Blue (3:00-3:45pm); Northern Monkey Brass Band (4:00-4:45pm).
Sat 13: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 13: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 13: Courtney Pine @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £35.80. Pine (saxophones); Robert Mitchell (piano); Rio Kai (double bass); Romarna Campbell (drums). ‘A Modern-Day Jazz Story 1986 - 2026’.

Sun 14: Front Porch Band: Swing Tyne’s Swing Social @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations (£5.00. - £10.00. suggested). Swing dance event w. taster class (12:30pm).
Sun 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Doctor Jazz @ The Old Church, Sacriston, Durham. 3:00-5:00pm . Free (donations welcome). New Orleans, blues & classic 20th century songs. Food & soft drinks available, BYOB.
Sun 14: Eddie Gripper Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.

Mon 15: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 15: Dan Johnson w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Press release: Samara Joy - Flor de Lis (Upside Down) (Visualizer)


Five-time Grammy Award winner Samara Joy has released a new single, “Flor de Lis (Upside Down),” a fresh take on the Brazilian classic originally written by Djavan nearly 50 years ago. Sung in Portuguese and arranged by Joy’s drummer Evan Sherman, the track pays tribute to Brazil’s enduring influence on jazz, arriving just ahead of Joy’s tour dates in South America, July 27 through August 2. The “Flor de Lis (Upside Down)” cover artwork features a painting by Brazilian illustrator Anna Cunha.



“Although it’s a heartbreaking story, the poetic lyrics and beautiful melody resonated with me immediately,” says Joy. “I got the chance to sing ‘Flor de Lis’ in Rio during my first trip there over a year ago and hearing the audience join in harmony only cemented how important this song is to the fabric of Brazilian music and culture. In this new arrangement by drummer Evan Sherman with a beautiful painting as the cover by Brazilian illustrator Anna Cunha, we hope to show our appreciation for the impact that Brazilian music has on our artistry as well as the impact it continues to have on the world.”


The Bronx-born jazz sensation continues her meteoric rise with a string of major accolades and career milestones. Her latest studio album Portrait offers a snapshot of Joy’s growth since her GRAMMY Best New Artist win, not only as a once-in-a-generation vocalist but also as a lyricist and band leader. In February, she earned two more Grammys at the 67th Annual Awards, winning Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Jazz Performance, bringing her total Grammy count to five. Shortly after, she was honored with her first NAACP Image Award, crowned Outstanding Jazz Album for Portrait, which she co-produced alongside Brian Lynch. This Spring, she was a featured guest on the new season of Sesame Street and was featured in ELLE Magazine’s Women in Music issue.


For Black Music Month, Joy is featured in EBONY’s STAMPED, the second annual list of “The Headliners” shaping cultural conversation, alongside FKA Twigs, The Weeknd, Glorilla, Coco Jones and more. EBONY praises Joy’s once-in-a-generation voice, which “echoes legends yet feels entirely her own.” 


Samara Joy 2025 Tour Dates

July 31 - Sao Paolo, Brazil - Teatro Cultura Artistica

Aug. 2 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Vivo Rio

Sept. 26 - Beaverton, OR - Patricia Reser Center for the Arts

Sept. 27 - Beaverton, OR - Patricia Reser Center for the Arts

Sept. 29 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre

Oct. 1 - San Diego, CA - Humphreys Concerts by the Bay

Nov. 11 - Philadelphia, PA - Miller Theater

Nov. 14 - Carmel, IN - The Palladium

Nov. 15 - Madison, WI - Wisconsin Union Theater

Nov. 18 - Chesterfield, MO - The Factory

Nov. 19 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall

Nov. 21 - St. Paul, MN - The Fitzgerald Theater

Nov. 22 - Kansas City, MO - Folly Theater

Jan. 24, 2026 - Grand Cayman - McBride’s World at Sea

May 16, 2026 - New York, NY - Geffen Hall


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