Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18947 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 811 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 28.) 90.

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

September.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller's Rest, Cockerton, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. For one week only the rehearsal night will be at the Traveller's Rest (open to the public).
Wed 30: Tenderly: The Life & Times of Nat ‘King’ Cole @ The Hearth, Horsley. 7:30pm. £15.00., £12.00. (Early Bird advance ticket), £10.00. Off-Broadway production feat. Duane Forrest.
Wed 30: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 30: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds + Juliana Day & Manon McCoy + Helen Anahita Wilson @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. A BBC Introducing-Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

October

Thu 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Rivkala @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 01: Hot Club de Heaton @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 01: The Scenic Route @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Alison Gill + Markrokosmos @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music (NFOJAIM).
Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Gilby & Hunter + Andy Champion @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. The Abbie Finn Trio augmented by Dean Stockdale (piano).
Fri 02: Alexia Gardner Trio @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 02: Zoe Rahman Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 8:00pm. NFOJAIM. SOLD OUT!

Sat 03: New Orleans Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Gavin Lee & co.
Sat 03: Anemone Quartet + Jeepe Zeeburg @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Caravan. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Free. Excellent blues band.
Sat 03: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.50 (inc. bf). Two sets: 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. ‘Swing Band Dance Night’.
Sat 03: Olie Brice Quartet + Alexander Hawkins + Harper Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Heugh Battery, Hartlepool. 11:00am-12 noon & 1:00-2:00pm.
Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 04: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Bill Watson (trumpet).
Sun 04: Sax Choir w. Rachel Musson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Rivkala + Ceitidh Mac + Thatcher & Knowles @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. A NFOJAIM event.
Sun 04: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED from September 27.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £3.00.

Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Press release: BBC Proms in the North East returns in 2026 with its biggest regional programme yet, spanning Gateshead, Sunderland and Middlesbrough

BBC Proms in the North East returns from 23-25 July 2026, marking its fifth year in the region and its biggest programme to date.

  • For the first time, the weekend spans three cities, with events across Gateshead, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, reflecting a growing North East‑wide music region.
  • Royal Northern Sinfonia sits at the heart of the festival, leading bold cross‑genre Proms performances alongside classical, contemporary, indie, folk, jazz and choral music.
  • Programme highlights include North East artists including Northumberland folk pioneers The Unthanks, and South Tyneside-born Nadine Shah, in her BBC Proms debut, alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia, a Sunderland Proms premiere by Mendelssohn, Morton Feldman’s Crippled Symmetry and a large‑scale choral gathering featuring the BBC Singers.
  • Accessible ticketing, emerging artist showcases and national BBC Radio 3 broadcasts continue the Proms’ commitment to reaching new audiences locally and sharing the region’s music‑making nationally. 

  • Thursday 23 July 2026 – Middlesbrough Town Hall 
    The Unthanks and friends, with Royal Northern Sinfonia 
    Time: 19:30 
    Broadcast: BBC Radio 3 (recorded for future broadcast) 
    Performers: The Unthanks, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Ellie Slorach (conductor) 

     

    Thursday 23 July 2026 – Sage Two, The Glasshouse 
    BBC Introducing Live at The Proms 
    Time: 20:00 
    Broadcast: BBC Radio 3 / BBC Introducing (recorded) 
    Performers: corto.alto, Maddie Ashman, ATFK 
    Presenter: Shakk (BBC Introducing) 

     

    Thursday 23 July 2026 – myplace, Middlesbrough 
    BBC Young Composer Workshops 
    Time: Various sessions 
    Participants: Young composers aged 12–18 
    Led by: BBC Young Composer artists and mentors 

     

    Friday 24 July 2026 – Sage Two, The Glasshouse 
    Crippled Symmetry 
    Time: 19:00 
    Broadcast: BBC Radio 3 (recorded for future broadcast) 
    Works: 
    Morton Feldman Crippled Symmetry 
    Performers: 
    Helena Gourd (flute, bass flute) 
    Jude Carlton (percussion)  
    Dinis Sousa (piano, celesta) 

     

    Friday 24 July 2026 – The Glasshouse Concourse 
    Nadine Shah and Royal Northern Sinfonia 
    Time: 21:00 
    Broadcast: BBC Radio 3 (live) 
    Performers: Nadine Shah, Royal Northern Sinfonia 
    Conductor: Ellie Slorach 

     

    Saturday 25 July 2026 – The Glasshouse Concourse 
    Choirs on the Concourse 
    Time: 16:00–19:00 
    Broadcast: BBC Radio 3 (recorded for future broadcast) 
     
    16:00-17:00 
    BBC Singers and Jess Gillam

    Charles Wood Hail, gladdening light 
    Hildegard von Bingen Alleluia, O virga mediatrix 
    Christian Forshaw My soul, there is a country 
    Shruthi Rajasekar Sat on the shore 
    Iain Farrington Like as the waves 
    Caroline Shaw and the swallow 
    Roderick Williams Never weather-beaten sail (BBC Commission, world premiere) 
    Alec Roth Night Prayer 
    John Tavener Song for Athene  
    Parry Lord let me know mine end

    17:20 – 17:50pm 
    Voices of the River’s Edge

    18.:10 – 18:55 
    BBC Singers and Chorus of RNS 
    Alfred Schnittke Concerto for Choir (sung in English)

    Performers: 
    Jess Gillam saxophone 
    BBC Singers 
    Sofi Jeannin conductor 
    Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia 
    Tim Burke chorus director 
    Voices of the River’s Edge 
    Simon Davies-Fidler choir director 

     

    Saturday 25 July 2026 – The Fire Station, Sunderland 
    Royal Northern Sinfonia: Mozart and Mendelssohn 
    Time: 19:30 
    Broadcast: BBC Radio 3 (live) 
    Works: 
    Grażyna Bacewicz Divertimento 
    Mendelssohn Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings in D minor (first performance at the Proms) 
    Mozart Symphony No. 39 in E flat major 
     
    Performers: 
    Royal Northern Sinfonia 
    Christian Ihle Hadland piano 
    Maria Włoszczowska director, violin 

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