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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Friday, July 25, 2025

Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms - July 25

Maureen Hall (vocals); Herbie Hudson (trombone, harmonica, vocals); Gordon Solomon (trombone); Alan Law (keyboards); Tom Derbyshire (double bass, vocals); Scott Adair (drums, vocals) + (second set) Colin Aitchison (trumpet, vocals); David Jobson (keyboards)

Maureen Hall has kept Rendezvous Jazz on the road for something like a quarter of a century. If it's a Friday afternoon, you'll find Maureen and the boys in Monkseaton. The Monkseaton Arms on Front Street has been home to the band for a good few years and this afternoon's session promised a sitter-in or two.

When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabama it's usually on time. However, this afternoon's 13:00 departure was delayed 15 minutes thanks to a malfunctioning keyboard. Alan Law dashed home to pick up a spare thingamajig, upon his return, our pianist soon remedied the situation and the Rendezvous Jazz express pulled out of the station - Choo! Choo!

Bill Bailey (M. Hall vocal), It Don't Mean a Thing (drummer Scott Adair vocal), Tishomingo Blues (Herbie Hudson playing harmonica), Shine (H. Hudson vocal), a typical Rendezvous Jazz session. Not quiet typical...a dodgy keyboard, Gavin Lee crying off at 8:00am with a bad back (ironically the depping H. Hudson was off the scene for quite some time with a similar complaint) and the return of Scott Adair was just the job. Happy days!

The interval: the jazz economy ticked over (ie the raffle), a natter with whoever, a refill of a more than acceptable St Austell's Tribute, the raffle drawn (all dud).

Second set: Hot foot from Cullercoats, Colin Aitchison soon got the nod from bandleader Hall. Trumpet and vocals from our Man from Hong Kong, Colin never fails to add something to a session (Georgia, a vocal duet with Maureen on Ice Cream) and, for good measure, one time Wallsend lad Colin brough along an old friend, pianist David Jobson. The late-running session was drawing to a close. Running Wild (Colin, trumpet, Herbie Hudson taking a vocal, Gordon Solomon, trombone, knocking out a tremendous solo) and then the outer, Maureen singing Dr Jazz. A canny session. 

* Colin and David go way back. As teenagers they practised together in the back room of a fish and chip shop run by David's father! Russell                  

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