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).

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

The Club Croco Tour - Hexham, Newcastle Jazz Co-op, Yamaha Music School, Blyth & Blaydon Jazz Club - Oct. 19 & 20

Adrian Cox Trio: Adrian Cox (clarinet, vocals); Alex 'Honey' Boulton (guitar, vocals); Alex Gilson (double bass, vocals)

The Adrian Cox Trio arrived in the region - that's the north east of England - to perform six concerts in four days. Each one, without exception, would prove to be nothing short of sensational. The first two concerts (Newcastle Arts Centre and Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club) reviewed earlier, played to near capacity audiences. The other four concert venues were in for a treat.

Queen's Hall, Hexham hosts a monthly Sunday afternoon concert series, broadly modern to contemporary jazz. Adrian Cox playing New Orleans jazz would be something a little different to the usual fayre. From a scorching New Orleans Stomp to J'attendrai to Home, Cox (clarinet), Honey Boulton (guitar) and double bass maestro Alex Gilson charmed the birds from the trees in  the Sele (directly opposite Queen's Hall). The trio made such an impression the audience took to its feet, quite an ovation. 

And on to Sunday evening on Railway Street, Newcastle. Much the same as Hexham, Newcastle Jazz Co-op is noted for its (many excellent) contemporary offerings. Cox and co were about to demolish any preconceived ideas of 'trad jazz'. The number that does it every time is New Orleans Stomp. Taken at tempo 'de tear arse' (K. Nichols), Cox, Boulton and Gilson adopted a 'scorched earth' policy, no one and nothing would be left standing. During the interval one punter confided: I got into jazz via Coltrane, this evening has been an education. Another, a musician steeped in the music, was impressed.  

Monday: Blyth. Yamaha Music School on Seaforth Street goes from strength to strength - courses galore, weekly concerts and more. This lunchtime, the Adrian Cox Trio would be entertaining another wholly different audience. Allocated but forty five minutes, the mercurial Cox hit the ground running. Engaging his audience, an informative communicator, Cox flew the flag for the Crescent City and its musical legacy. Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin, King Oliver, Omer Simeon and more, Cox sketched out the history of the music. Three quarters of an hour later the Club Croco merchandise stall was doing brisk business. It tells a story...

Monday evening. This one couldn't fail. The Black Bull, Blaydon, home to Blaydon Jazz Club. Advance tickets, last minute enquiries (I don't have a ticket. Will I be able to get in?), it had the makings of a special night. New Orleans Stomp (whoosh!), Parisian bassist Alex Gilson singing J'attendrai, a sizzling Rehearsin' for a Nervous Breakdown, Adrian Cox, Honey Boulton (pictured talking guitars with Blaydon Jazz Club's Roly Veitch) and Alex Gilson certainly enjoyed their time 'up north'. A return visit would be  most welcome. Russell   
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2 comments :

Gordon Solomon said...

Hi Russell, as you know I was at the Blaydon session- I think the difficulty in describing this band is finding enough superlatives. All three really were in the superstar category, Adrian Cox’s playing, in his chosen style was certainly as good as the best on both sides of the Atlantic. I asked Adrian how they managed to memorise a full program of such complex arrangements and he said that their rehearsals can last up to 10 hours, I can well believe it. Full marks to you for organising the tour, hopefully we’ll see a return visit.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 10:18:00 am
BSH said...

I completely agree Gordon's comments. Brilliant! Well done Russell in arranging this tour. Roly.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 10:28:00 am

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