Bebop Spoken There

John Donegan: ''What you take in through your ears can come out through your fingers.'' (Notes to Which Direction October, 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

19,057 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 921 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 29) 100.

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

October.

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 03: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest tba
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: An Evening of Erykah Badu @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Saturday, March 07, 2026

RADIOPHONICX

Avant-garde - ongoing experiments

14th of March 2-4pm at Cobalt Studios, 10-16 Boyd Street, Newcastle NE2 1AP


Spanning an arch from experimental radio work in the 1970 by John Cage to the 2024 Political Music show, a poignant und humours  exploration of contemporary culture by Belgium/Rumanian musician Cristian Fierbinteanu. 


We will listen to two extracts of audio pieces by John Cage:

Empty Words,1974 is a marathon text drawn from the Journals of Henry David Thoreau. This is one of Cage’s most sustained and elaborate moves toward the “demilitarization” of language. 

Roaratorio, based on Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, is an audio art piece composed by Cage in 1979 commissioned by Klaus Schöning from the German State Broadcast WDR. It won the Karl Sczuker-Prize in 1979.


The Political Music Show, 2024 by Cristian Fierbinteanu, Belgium, is a playful deconstruction about the cultural, social and political relevance of art, an oblique ode to the beauty of contemporary culture. Even more, it is an experimental poem about all of us, built as a quirky late night show. The ultimate confrontation between politicians, experimental musicians, intellectuals and art critics. It won several awards at European audio festivals.



RADIOPHONICX is a free communal listening event curated by Gabriele Heller.

For more information:

https://cobaltstudios.co.uk/events/radiophonicx-presents-avant-garde/


If you can please buy some donation tickets to support Cobalt studios a fantastic independent venue in Newcastle:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/radiophonicx-presents-avant-garde-tickets


The second season with more exiting international radio and sound art is already in preparation for autumn 2026 at Cobalt.


ROUND MIDNIGHT


In March I will be back in Canterbury for the 12th edition of UK International Audio Drama Festival happening from the 30th to the 3 April. I am delighted that my bilingual audio play ROUND MIDNIGHT was shortlisted for the competition.


There will be online listening session for the week long festival so if you want to hear more international audio work check out their website:  https://radiodramafestival.org.uk/

With best wishes,

Gabriel

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