Bebop Spoken There

Ethan Hawke (starring as Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon): ''Larry [Lorenz] Hart would be so happy that his music and his words and his poetry are still alive.'' - The Northern Echo 27 November 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

18000 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 964 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 24).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: Jazzy Xmas @ Redhills, Durham. 7:30-10:00pm. £10.00., £9.00., £8.00. Miners’ Hall, Flass St., Durham. Feat. Durham University Big Band & Durham University Jazz Orchestra.
Fri 05: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 05: Alligator Gumbo @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £16.96. Saltburn Jazz Xmas Party.

Sat 06: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 06: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Minor Swing. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 06: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 06: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76 (inc. bf).
Sat 06: Kaberry Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00. (inc. hot buffet). ‘Christmas 1945’. Kaberry Big Band, formerly Vermont Big Band.
Sat 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, Bedlington. 7:30pm. £6.00. Rhythm & blues.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. Xmas Party with buffet.
Sat 06: The Jive Aces @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £22.00., £20.00.
Sat 06: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. special guest Donna Hewitt (sax, clarinet).
Sun 07: Finn-Keeble Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Ruth Lambert.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). £21.50 (inc. bf).
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Support set from Play More Jazz! course participants. Note earlier start.

Mon 08: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 09: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm

Wed 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 10: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 10: Mike Lindup Jazz Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £26.50 (inc. bf). Lindup, Yolanda Charles (bass), John Sam (drums).
Wed 10: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Thu 11: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: West Coast (cool ) / Wordsearch (cool) Cool Jazz or ‘Cold’, ‘Cool’, ‘Hot’, ‘Warm’ in the title or lyrics.
Thu 11: George Robinson @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £5.42 (inc. bf). Vienna’s Voice charity evening featuring ’15 year old singing sensation the ‘Redcar Crooner’ George Robinson’. Over 35s only.
Thu 11: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. back tapes.
Thu 11: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 11: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm. £37.70 (inc. bf). ‘Swing into Xmas’.

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

Monday, November 24, 2025

Sunday night @ the Globe: Greg Abate w. the Dean Stockdale Trio - Nov. 23

© John Lyons
Greg Abate (alto sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Ken Marley (bass); Abbie Finn (drums)

A taxi dash from Pilgrim St. to Railway St. got me to the Globe in time to catch the great American alto saxophonist Greg Abate. A JNE/Jazz Co-op c0-promotion, this gig too was well-attended and deservedly so.

© John Lyons
Abate has made many appearances in the north east dating back to the early days of BSH when the Corner House was still the epicentre of Newcastle's jazz scene. Indeed Greg was probably one of the last American 'names' to play there.

Since then there have been few jazz venues he hasn't played at in the area, often with varying personnel and always with a positive response. This line-up is probably as good as any and they responded intuitively to the twists and turns he often indulged in.

© Ken Drew
A noted Parker specialist, he opened the first set dancing through the changes of Yardbird Suite with a facility that eludes all but the chosen few. He does it meaningfully, not just fingerbusting runs that he learned in the woodshed but phrases and passages picked up during a lifetime of gigging around the world.

© Ken Drew
Ceora, by Lee Morgan, was followed by Softly as in a Morning Sunrise which wasn't softly at all but had blistering solos all round with Abbie in particular working out impressively and one of many fine solos by Marley.

Kerry's Song, composed by Greg for his wife, was a pleasant bossa whilst Body and Soul was packed with emotion from all four. Beautiful!

On the Road, a fast original that brought the set to a close with a bang. Incidentally, a live version by Greg recorded at the Black Swan with the Paul Edis Trio  can be viewed on YouTube HERE (see comment).

© Ken Drew
After the raffle won by number 89 the second set got underway with On Green Dolphin St. followed by an original by Greg dedicated to his children then more 'Bird' with Billie's Bounce and Steeplechase which segued into Ornithology.

Angel Eyes was something else. Not just by Greg whose solo was drenched in emotion but also by Stockdale who had been, and still was, in top form from the off. YouTube LINK.

The show finished with Kenny Barron's Voyage which brought a most enjoyable evening to a close. Come back soon. Lance

at

1 comment :

Ken Drew said...

A fine evening with great musicians playing a good selection of well-known or self-penned tunes by Abate. Nice for Lance (reviewer-in-chief) to have remembered and referenced an earlier Abate visit (Nov 2019) when Jazz North East shared a couple of tunes - the other one was Angel Eyes (a fond favourite of mine) with Abate playing flute, and Paul Edis on keys. This was the first year in which I'd shot videos.... there has been some improvement since then - but the playing always stands its own ground - solid !! Angel Eyes Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5oX1R-Fpa8

Monday, November 24, 2025 7:51:00 pm

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