Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Sun 27: Salty Dog @ The Cluny. 12:30pm (doors). Free (donations).
Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Zach Sewell-Lara Hopper Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 27: Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED to Sunday 4 October.
Sun 27: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Alex Hitchcock Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Mon 28: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ Hepscott Parish Hall. 7:30pm. . £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Tue 29: Red Kites Jazz @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ The Hearth, Horsley. 7:30pm. £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Wed 30: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 30: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds + Juliana Day & Manon McCoy + Helen Anahita Wilson @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. A BBC Introducing-Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Monday, November 24, 2025

Groovetrain @ Pilgrim, Newcastle - Nov. 23

© Anon
Michael Lavery (vocals/guitar); Angela Newbrook, Steph Kay, Rebecca Patton (vocals); Les Watts (keys); Mitch Laddie (guitar/vocals); John Dawson (bass guitar); Ian Halford (drums/vocals); Si King (perc.); Danny Allan (saxes); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone); Ross Laing (trumpet).

Pilgrim (Hoochie Coochies as was) on Pilgrim St., welcomed the many that had made the pilgrimage to the iconic music venue in Newcastle city centre. I doubt if as many pilgrims had made it to Lourdes. Why should they? Groovetrain weren't there, they were here in Newcastle and, as usual, pulling in their own following. Needless to say the Sold Out signs were flashed up.

The fans had travelled far and wide to hear/see the band. A group near me were from Liverpool or maybe they were staying at the big, posh Hotel Gotham  opposite on the site of the old fire station.

There were times when experiencing what Groovetrain were laying down on stage with such burning zeal that I wished the original fire station was still operative!

With bar boss Lavery  leading from the front the room was a mass of gyrating hips - there was little space left to gyrate anything else - vocals and great harmonies from the girls, wild sax from Danny Allan, Showtime and Ross Laing power shredding brass riffs and the funkiest, rockiest, soul searching rhythm section this side of the Motor City - and I don't mean Sunderland - hit the spot.

Hairy Biker Si King knocked seven shades out of his percussive armoury, Mitch Laddie composed 50 Shades of Blue as well as singing and soloing like Clapton, Halford on drums also aired his vocal chords and John Dawson gave the bass some meaning as did the keeper of the keyboards.

A lot of the material was new to me but that didn't lesson the impact of the songs alongside the ones that I did know by Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and Tower of Power.

I missed the second set as I was also due at the Globe - but I left making a promise to myself that at the next Groovetrain gig I'd go the distance. Lance 

Not That Kind; Love Theory; As; Minute by Minute; Lowdown; Peg; Clap Your Hands...Master Builder; What You Won't do; Only so Much Oil; Why Did You Do It?; Sweet Love; 50 Shades of Blue; Use me.

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