Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18482 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 346 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 30 ) 80

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

Mon 04: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: Pete Tanton’s Cuban Heels @ The Library, South Parade, Whitley Bay. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 05: Leah Kirk (voice): Final Year Music Recital @ The Band Room, Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 2:30pm. Free, open to the public.
Tue 05: Jenny Baker (voice): Final Year Music Recital @ The Band Room, Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 4:20pm. Free, open to the public.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 07: Robert Finley @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50. Excellent US falsetto soul/blues voice.
Thu 07: ALT @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Rob Walker. Thu 07: Liam & Shayo @ The Globe , Newcastle. 8:00pm. £5.00. Liam Oliver (guitar), Shayo Oshodi (vocals).
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 08: Alan Law Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Law, Mick Shoulder, John Bradford.
Fri 08: Giles Strong & Richard Herdman @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Guitar duo.
Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 6:00pm . Free. A Late Shows event.
Fri 08: Nigel Kennedy @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Line-up inc. Alec Dankworth.

Sat 09: SH#RP Collective w. Lindsay Hannon @ Church of Holy Name, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £15.00 (inc. a welcome drink). Advance booking essential. Bring own snacks, drinks to be purchased at ‘donations’ bar. All proceeds to charity. A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sat 09: East Coast Swing Band @ Jubilee Hall, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Sun 10: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 12 noon. Free. Note earlier start.
Sun 10: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: The Chet Set @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Thursday, January 08, 2026

Windy City Weatherbirds @ Jamboree, London - Jan. 7

Magnus Pickering (trumpet); Gustavo Clayton Marucci (clarinet, vocals); Ed Parr (trombone); Cornelius Corkery (guitar); Chris Hyde-Harrison (double bass)

From Soho to King's Cross. Exiting Ronnie Scott's (Gilad Atzmon's amazing Organology), racing down to Leicester Square Underground station (negotiating the traffic and dodging kamikaze cyclists), down onto the platform, then four stops on the Piccadilly line to King's Cross. 

Out of King's Cross, taking a left turn, crossing at the lights (dodging kamikaze cyclists), over to Gray's Inn Road, then down St Chad's Place to Jamboree. From A to B in thirteen minutes! What's the hurry? The Windy City Weatherbirds were about to take to the stage! 

From 2026 Gilad Atzmon to circa 1926 Chicago. The Pickering brothers - Magnus, Daniel and Joe - are proud purveyors of the Windy City's amazing jazz scene of a century ago. This evening it would be Pickering brother, singular. In the absence of Daniel and Joe, trumpeter Magnus would lead the line as usual. Trombonist Daniel is working in Orkney and Joe is in far off Shanghai. This evening, the Windy City would play two sets as a drummer-less five piece instead of the usual sextet line-up. 

Opening with Back Home in Indiana, it was good to hear the Weatherbirds again. Embraceable You featured Gustavo Clayton Marucci's clarinet and vocals. Excellent clarinet and an excellent voice!* The ever-genial Magnus P lead from the front with consistently good trumpet playing. To his left, a new face - trombonist Ed Parr. A Guildhall graduate, Parr impressed!

I Found a New Baby, Eubie Blake's Memories of You, a tremendous Limehouse Blues with the frontline going for it and the rhythm boys - Cornelius Corkery, guitar, and Chris Hyde-Harrison, string bass - as impressive as they were on the Weatherbirds' 2024 tour of the BSH heartland. 

To open the second set, Gustavo sang another one - My Blue Heaven. Yep, the man can sing! Some of These Days stoked the fires with the front three soloing as if there were no tomorrows, the engine room not letting up for so much as a nanosecond. A Hot Club-style original composition (written by Gustavo) received its world premiere here at Jamboree. And So I Fall, the tune, the only tune of the night requiring sheet music! On first hearing it's a winner.

The Weatherbirds never fail to radiate their enjoyment in playing the music and Oh, Lady be Good! (and many others) illustrated the point. If I Had You featured fine solos from all five musicians. The Weatherbirds and the audience were enjoying themselves and no one objected when the set overran. Rose Room closed a most enjoyable evening. Thanks to the Windy City Weatherbirds.           

* At the 2025 Scarborough Jazz Festival, BSH heard Gustavo playing clarinet and bass clarinet in Billy Marrows' Grande Família. The music of Billy Marrows is at the opposite end of the spectrum to that of the Windy City Weatherbirds! Russell                
Set list included: Back Home in Indiana; Embraceable You; I Found a New Baby; Memories of You; Limehouse Blues; Deed O Do; I Want a Big Butter and Egg Man; My Blue Heaven; Some of These Days; And So I Fall; Oh, Lady be Good!; Misty; Just You, Just Me; If I Had You; Rose Room.
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