Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

October.

Mon 05: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Press release: The Puppini Sisters Announce UK Tour and New Album Celebrating 20 Years Since Their Debut

Close harmonies, corsets and clever covers. Fabulous frocks, festival stages, platinum records and famous fans from Michael Bublé and Cyndi Lauper to Robbie Williams, and even King Charles. For two decades, The Puppini Sisters have brought vintage glamour and vocal fireworks to audiences around the world.

Now, in celebration of 2026 marking 20 years since their debut album, the group have announced a brand new record, ‘The Birthday Party’, out 27th March, plus a celebratory UK tour — The Birthday Tour — taking place in May.

Bologna-born Marcella Puppini formed the trio at London’s Trinity College of Music in 2004, and by the following year they were signed. Their debut, ‘Betcha Bottom Dollar’, saw their sassy, swing rearrangements transform songs from all eras – “Mr Sandman”, “Jeepers Creepers” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (from Company B) sat alongside Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”, Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” and “Panic” by The Smiths.

The album went Top 20 in Britain and spent almost a year on the Billboard chart. The Puppini Sisters have toured the world ever since, spawning a new scene and watching as mainstream pop embraced their burlesque-inspired aesthetic.

To celebrate turning 20, The Puppini Sisters have some surprises up their elegant sleeves. Marcella and original band member Kate Mullins have reunited with Rosanna Schura, a very early Puppini Sister who returned briefly in 2016.

Marcella Puppini says: “We’re like the Sugababes, getting Mutya back! There hasn’t been a bust-up, it’s simply scheduling because we all have other projects. Rosanna is our original redhead.”

The trio will release ‘The Birthday Party’, their seventh studio album, in March; comprising original material and covers they have been saving up for this special occasion. They will also tour with the same outstanding line-up featured on the album: Martin Kolarides on guitar, Henrik Jensen on double bass, and Peter Ibbetson on drums. Full details and a first taste of the new record are to be announced in due course.

With their trademark wit, glamour, and dazzling three-part harmonies, The Puppini Sisters continue to reinvent the golden age of swing for modern audiences. From intimate cabaret clubs to the world’s biggest stages, they remain unmatched in their ability to blend nostalgia with fresh invention. As they raise a glass to two decades of music, The Birthday tour promises to be a glittering celebration of everything that makes The Puppini Sisters a truly timeless act.


The Birthday Party – New Album Out  March 27, 2026

The Birthday Tour – May 15 TICKETS:

Presale: Wednesday October 15, 10am
General Sale: Friday October 17, 10am
To purchase tickets and pre-order album visit: 

ThePuppiniSisters.com

No comments :

Blog Archive