Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: 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 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Sat 22: Durham Alumni Big Band + Durham Alumni All Stars + Swing Manouche @ Darlington Market Place. From 1:00pm. Free. The All Stars (1:00pm); The Alumni (2:00-4:00pm); Swing Manouche (4:15pm).

Sun 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Royal Quays Marina, North Shields. 2:00-4:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: Blue Note Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00..
Sun 23: Timmy Allan Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 24: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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