Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: 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 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

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 

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive