Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''We knew back in the day that Emmet [Cohen] had it.'' (DownBeat July, 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

18767 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 631 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 31) 95.

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

August

Sat 01: Jazz Weekend workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am. £95.00. Tutors: Nel Begley & Paul Edis: Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop. Day 1/2.
Sat 01: Jim Wright’s Rhythm Deluxe @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 01: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Milne Glendinning Band @ Leonard’s Coffee House, Durham. 6:20pm. £7.00. A Durham Fringe Festival. 1/2.
Sat 01: Paul Skerritt Swing Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: The Swing Commanders @ The Amphitheatre, Stockton. 9:00-10:30pm. Free. Stockton International Riverside Festival.

Sun 02: Jazz Weekend workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 9:30am. £95.00. Tutors: Nel Begley & Paul Edis: Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop. Day 2/2.
Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Sue Ferris.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Milne Glendinning Band @ Leonard’s Coffee House, Durham. 6:20pm. £7.00. A Durham Fringe Festival event. 2/2.
Sun 02: Nel Begley & Paul Edis @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Mon 03: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 03: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 04: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 06: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guest Zoë Gilby.
Thu 06: 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 06: Bridget Metcalfe Sextet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

The thoughts of saxman Branford

Branford Marsalis: “A band has to have great followers, you can't have five great leaders” – (Down Beat December 1982).

Branford Marsalis: "...if someone is going to serve your head on a platter, you want it to be Sonny Rollins not some guy at Smalls who nobody knows." - (Down Beat July 2004.)

Branford Marsalis: "Why isn't jazz popular? Because jazz musicians today are completely devoid of character." - (The Jazz Ear - Ben Ratliffe).

Branford Marsalis: “I loved it (Mahler's 3rd Symphony) so much that I stole Wynton's record when I went away to college" - (Jazz Journal May 2013.)

Branford Marsalis: “When I knew I was going to do the [solo] concert…if it’s good we release it, if it’s shite, well I have this big pile of shite that I can listen to – to remind myself how much better I need to be.” – (Jazzwise December 2014/January 2015).

Branford Marsalis: “I learned a lot on that [1985] tour and Sting’s a wonderful person and a really incredibly smart guy and helluva song writer…” – (Jazzwise December 2014/January 2015).

Branford Marsalis: "Back in 1990, I used to go waltzing past the melody, treating it as something to sidestep before starting to solo in double time. " - (Jazzwise April 2019).

Branford Marsalis: "I was a Mets season ticket holder. I remember when they were in old ragged ass Shea Stadium. you could go to a professional baseball game for $25. Now, that's the price of popcorn and a Coke. So who is jazz for? Music is for everybody, but there are market realities -(DownBeat, May 2019).

Branford Marsalis: "I don't know any good music that isn't borrowed from somewhere else - (DownBeat, May 2019).

Branford Marsalis: "You talk to the old guys about it [52nd St.], and they say the music part was great. Every other aspect of it [pay, hours, conditions] sucked" - (DownBeat, May 2019).

Branford Marsalis: "I went off and played with Sting (in the '80s), a great guy and fantastic songwriter." - (JazzTimes June 2019).

Branford Marsalis: “Art [Blakey] taught  in the Socratic manner. He'd force you to think, and through thinking, you arrive at the answer ”. (DownBeat, January, 2020).

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 2023).
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive