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

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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 TBC.
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.

Monday, December 01, 2025

Preview: December - it's one big Xmas prezzie!

As the 'Big Day' approaches you could be forgiven for thinking the north east jazz scene will slow down. Not a bit of it, December is as busy as ever! Here's a selection...Tuesday (Dec. 2) brings James Birkett & Emma Fisk to the Great Hall, Sutherland Building, Northumbria University. It's a 1:15pm start and, at free admission, it's a bargain!  In the evening there's seasonal joy with the mega sized Down For the Count Swing Orchestra at Newcastlle Cathedral

Thursday (Dec. 4) is the day Prohibition Bar in Middlesbrough hits the jazz trail. Trumpeter Noel Dennis is the first of hopefully many top class jazz musicians to appear at the Albert Road venue. At the same time, North Shields' Exchange 1856 presents Organology. As line-ups go, you'd be hard pressed to come up with something to better this - Gilad Atzmon (alto sax), Ross Stanley (organ) and drummer Joel Barford! Book now at: www.theexchange1856.com.

On Saturday (Dec. 6) Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club once again welcomes Sarah Spencer's Transatlantic Band. Hugely popular last time round, it all points to another full house at St Augustine's Parish Centre. It's a half past twelve start, a tenner at the door. Saturday evening brings a rather poignant occasion. The Seahorse (Whitley Bay FC's club house) is hosting the first performance by the Kaberry Big Band. The band, formerly known as the Vermont Big Band, is named (renamed) in honour of its MD, the late Chris Kaberry. 

Wednesday (Dec. 10), make a pilgrimage to Pilgrim (that's the venue on Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, formerly Hoochie Coochie). Level 42's pianist Mike Lindup will be there with his jazz trio. Definitely worth a punt. Meanwhule, over at the Cluny down on the Ouseburn Delta, the exhuberant Bold Big Band will be unleashing their own brand of Ho! Ho! Ho!

Paul Edis returns once again with his all-star band, appearing at no fewer than four venues (five shows) over six days. A Jazzy Christmas is the real deal. A winning set list, superb arrangements, fabulous musicians, terrible jokes (!), Santa hats encouraged. Book to see Paul and co at one or more of these venues: St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook (Dec. 12), Glasshouse, Gateshead (Dec. 13, two performances), Queen's Hall, Hexham (Dec. 16) and the Fire Station, Sunderland (Dec. 17).   

And if you're looking for a big band bash, look no further than the o2 Academy (formerly Newcastle City Hall). On Sunday (Dec. 21) Michael Lamb's Strictly Smokin' Big Band will be on stage for one of the year's unmissable gigs. Alice Grace (pictured) will be there, of course she will. And, by way of a bonus, Alice will be joined by fellow vocalist, Matt Ford! And there's more...Bradley Creswick (one time leader of the Northern Sinfonia) will be in the thick of the strings and, last but by no means least, the man who has been burning the arranger's midnight oil, Stuart McLean. Tickets have been selling like hot cakes. To buy your tickets - that's 'tickets' plural, think Christmas present(s) - visit: www.academymusicgroup.com/o2cityhallnewcastle. 

Keep an eye on BSH's day-to-day listings - there's so much happening. Russell      
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