Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 2025

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

18104 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1068 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Dec. 25), 82.

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Tue 30: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00., £7.00. adv.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 31: Lil Miss Mary & the Mr Rights Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. ‘Early NYE Bash’. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues.
Wed 31: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. ‘Midnight in Manhattan’ NYE party. £49.46 (inc. bf) & £29.38 (inc. bf).

JANUARY 2026

Thu 01: ???

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. No session this week, next one Friday 9th
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Earl Thomas Blues Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 04: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free Quintet + guest Josh Bentham (alto sax).
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Revolutionaires @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm (doors). Free. Rocking rockabilly/r&b.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. 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

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Press release: Beautiful Storm blows into Ambleside and London

© Douglas Robertson

Scottish saxophonist Phil Bancroft’s The Beautiful Storm trio plays concerts in the UK from Friday 19th September to Monday 29th September.

The dates mark the second instalment of the tour which launched the group’s debut album, Finding Hope (When All Seems Lost), in March and include an appearance at Zeffirellis in Ambleside on Sunday 28 and the Cockpit Theatre in London on Monday 29.

Featuring guitarist Graeme Stephen, of Edinburgh’s Playtime cooperative, and Delhi-based Indian percussionist Gyan Singh alongside Bancroft, The Beautiful Storm formed in 2022. They released Finding Hope (When All Seems Lost) on Bancroft’s Myriad Streams platform in late 2024.

“Our availability as a group is quite often determined by Gyan’s schedule,” says Bancroft. “He’s busy touring internationally with other groups including the Indo-Spanish ensemble Ativata and the Slovenian-Indian band Kurkuma. But he’s such an intuitive and creative player that what he brings to The Beautiful Storm compensates for any gaps in our concert schedule. Besides, Graeme and I have other musical commitments, so we’re quite happy to fit in what our diaries allow.”

For Bancroft, the tour the trio played in March, saw tangible developments in the group’s music.

“We already had a good understanding and a real team spirit and we were pleased with the way the album turned out,” he says. “But there’s nothing like travelling and playing together to strengthen and deepen the music. We’re really looking forward to playing live again and I can’t wait to play in Ambleside especially. I’ve heard so much about Zeffirellis and the annual Ambleside Days festival that happens there - it sounds like such a cool place to play.”

Tour dates: Catstrand, New Galloway, Friday 19th September; the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Monday 22nd; Glad Cafe, Glasgow, Tuesday 23rd; Community Hall, Kilmuir, Isle of Skye, Thursday 25th; Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Sleat, Isle of Skye, Friday 26th; Zeffirellis, Ambleside, Sunday 28th; and the Cockpit Theatre, London, Monday 29th. 

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive