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).

Monday, August 18, 2025

Sunday night @ the Globe: The Milne Glendinning Band - August 17

© Sheila Herrick
Debra Milne (vocals, shakers); Steve Glendinning (guitar, backing vocals); Mike Clarke (bass guitar, backing vocals)

In the wider world of jazz Debra Milne is the mover and shaker when it comes to booking bands from near and afar to gig at the Globe. The multi-tasking Debra also organises the Jazz Co-op's AGM sometimes live, sometimes on-line, serves behind the bar and has a day job as a pathologist. On top of all that she sings and co-leads the Milne Glendinning Band. The jazz world needs people like Debra.

Her co-leader, Steve Glendinning, apart from being a fine guitarist also runs the Globe's educational jazz workshop programme.

Mike Clarke, although he doesn't feature in the billing provides solid support on bass guitar.

Debra, perched atop a high chair presented a well-balanced mix of standards, jazz classics and originals sung in her inimitable style with powerful guitar  chording from Steve underpinning the vocals.

Thus we heard: Don't Wait Too Long; Stella by Starlight, with an extended intro from Steve; a new (to me) Dusty Springfield number, Spooky; Perdido with Steve and Debra trading fours; The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers which was followed by the first original.

It's never easy to judge originals upon first hearing. I always need two or three listenings before I make my mind up so I'll pass judgement on Am I Missing Something? and The Imposter.

I liked Don't Know Why and the hardboiled Red Right Hand - I'll have to catch up on Peaky Blinders.

The first set closed with the Ida Cox number Wild Women Don't Have the Blues. As regular visitors to BSH will know, Nancy Harrow's classic 1960 album of the same name is one of my all-time favourite jazz vocal discs so Debra had big shoes to fill - I doubt if even Samara Joy could!

The second set followed a similar pattern and included: Dance me to the End of Love; Where Are we Going?; The Nearness of You; Too Busy For Thinkin'; Stay; Everything is Gonna be Funky (w. backing vocals) and a blistering Caravan  which sent me homeward bound only to find my own particular caravan (Metro) was 39 minutes away - perhaps there were camels on the track. The 27 bus was also late so by the time I made it home I was the terrestrial version of jetlagged.

Still I'd had a pleasant evening. 

Next Sunday it's the Chris Coull Quartet with trumpet ace Coull, Joe Steels (guitar), Andy Champion (bass) and John Bradford (drums). Lance

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