Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Preview: Mama Terra @ Pilgrim tonight (Jan. 28)


Marco Cafolla (piano, vocoder); Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor sax); Rachel Lightbody (vocals); Doug Hough (drums); Brodie Javier (double bass) + Mikey Owers (trombone); Cameron Jay (flugelhorn, trumpet)

Glasgow based band Mama Terra, heard above at jazzahead! 2024, are playing in Newcastle tonight (Jan. 28) at Pilgrim (formerly Hoochie Coochie) and, going by the video, it is going to be an incredible evening.

Wiszniewski I've heard many times over the years with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and I also recall hearing Cafolla with American saxman Pee Wee Ellis and The Federation of the Disco Pimp. I was impressed back then and already I'm chomping at the bit to see them again tonight in this totally different, but no less exciting, line-up. Lance


Comments and Achievements:

Featured as one of the Top 25 Artists to watch in 2025 on BBC Scotland's Vic Galloway show.

Nominated for 'Breakthrough Act 2025' at the Jazz FM Awards (announced April '25)


Debut album The Summoned released July 2023 to great acclaim was longlisted for the SAY award 2024.


Released on Acid Jazz Records. Debut single Ruptura, from debut album The Summoned, went straight in at number one on the ITunes jazz chart, for six 

consecutive weeks and single, A Mind Supreme, was track of the week on Jazz FM.


'Mama Terra' launched their new album at the world famous Ronnie Scott's in London to a sold out room & received a standing ovation, as well as recording live for JAZZ FM's classic album series, playing Herbie Hancock's 'Headhunters' album arranged for them in the Mama Terra sound. 2024 has brought sold out shows and big festival appearances at SXSW (Austin, TX), Jazzahead (Germany) amongst others.


From Glaswegian Pianist, Composer & Producer Marco Cafolla & Saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski, Mama Terra are hotly tipped by JazzFM, and are signed to legendary London label Acid Jazz Records.   ‘The Summoned’ is a conceptual journey through life and the universe – a new and  invigorated take on spiritual jazz and is focused on melody, Pocket and Sound.


Bursts with zeal and vigour. ★★★★ MOJO


Encompasses frenetic be-bop, slick soul [and] a hybrid of Steely Dan and trip-hop. Uncut magazine 


Draws breezily on the cosmic jazz heritage of Alice Coltrane & how that’s fed into US soul. The Arts Desk 


If you are a fan of Coltrane’s Giant Steps, this will be right up your street.  Detail magazine.


(The Summoned) offers both a sonic and a philosophical spiritual journey through the consciousness of human life and cosmic phenomena. A conceptual and ambitious contemporary jazz work. European Jazz Network.


To Myself the most important jazz act to come from the UK in last 12 Months & the track A Mind Supreme is a genuine modern classic – Christian Bragg, Head of Music, Jazz FM
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1 comment :

Russell said...

Michael 'Mikey' Owers and Cameron Jay were often seen - and heard -alongside Konrad Wiszniewski in the SNJO.

Saturday, January 10, 2026 9:35:00 pm

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