Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: 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 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Monday, April 13, 2026

Sunday night @ the Globe: SH#RP Collective - April 12

© Richard Davies
Nigel Robson (trombone); Karen Rann (soprano sax); Mark Squires (piano); Dave Parker (double bass); Michael Howard (drums)

Sunday night at The Globe and tonight’s offering was a group of five musicians at least some of whom who could claim the Globe as their spiritual home. They either volunteer their time there or they are members of the various Globe music programmes like the regular Wednesday session Take it to the Bridge.

Having seen earlier versions of the band I was expecting an entertaining evening of GASbook standards. But there was not an Autumn Leaves or a Summertime in sight. Instead the band set their stall out from the first tune, an original penned by pianist Mark Squires called R and B.  Other originals from the pen of Mr.Squires featured throughout, reflective pieces like What I Think About When I Think About Walking or Pandemonic written during Covid with a Latin groove that allowed sax and trombone to trade off each other to great effect.  

The highlight of the first set was, for me, the Joey Calderazzo composition El Niño written for Micheal Brecker’s band with a thoughtful intro on bass by Dave Parker and with Micheal Howard showing how comfortable he is behind his kit. 

The second set kicked off with Horace Silver’s Tokyo Blues before a contrafact penned by Mr Squires.  He invited the audience to guess where the original chord progression was from. Given that the title he had given it was Colonising Mars, it didn’t take long for someone, not me, to recognise David Bowie’s Life on Mars.

© Richard Davies
So, all in all, a well thought out programme put together to show the talents of each player. The Great American Songbook it was not but, an interesting and unusual selection of originals, some rarely heard pieces and showstoppers like Nicholas Payton’s Zigaboogaloo and Wes Montgomery’s Full House. Not at all what I was expecting but still a very enjoyable evening. Sylvia

Other tunes played: Sunshower (Kenny Barron); Barracuda (Gill Evans); Isfahan (Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington); Sing a Song of Song (Kenny Garrett); Strange Meeting (Bill Frisell); Starmaker (Roy Hargrove)                                                                         

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