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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: 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 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

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.

Saturday, June 06, 2026

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox: The Future is Vintage @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead - June 4

Willie Ray Moore Jr. (MC, vocals); Effie Passero (vocals);  Tatum Langley (vocals); Katrina Lomis (vocals); Jacob Dupre (piano); Adam Kubota (MD, double bass, bass); Jack Amblin (drums, washboard, vocals); Kyle Morgan (tenor sax, clarinet, flute); JP Floyd (trombone, drums); Demi Remick (dancer) + others

Postmodern Jukebox, PMJ for short, is a global phenomenon. Touring worldwide, year round, often with two or three shows on stage at the same time somewhere on the planet. This evening, PMJ returned to Gateshead's Glasshouse. Earlier visits to Tyneside date from pre-Covid times when the riverfront venue was known as Sage Gateshead. 

The Future is Vintage, two hours, straight through, PMJ's legion of fans knew what to expect. A non-stop, all-singing, all-dancing revue, rehearsed to the nth degree, each and every member of the ensemble hitting their cues. 

From Hotel California to All About the Bass, MC Willie Ray Moore Jr. kept things moving along, whipping up his adoring audience, it wasn't too long before the Geordie faithful were all-singing and all-dancing themselves. PMJ vocalist Effie Passero has been onboard the Good Ship PMJ for the best part of ten years. Her lung-busting vocals much to the liking of the Glasshouse crowd. Hoofer Demi Remick has been 'hoofing' with PMJ for near enough a decade. Boy, she could tap dance, alright. 

The PMJ band, led by Adam Kubota, didn't miss a beat all night. Pianist Jacob Dupre proved to be a revelation. From the Crescent City, Dupre seemingly could play anything, a great player. Scott Bradlee's troupe were drawn from the aforementioned New Orleans, Chicago, New York and other US cities. Special mention for Welshman Jack Amblin. Touring with PMJ must be a thrill, his UK gig with the Washboard Resonators on the back burner. Holding down the drum  chair (most impressive), Amblin briefly took centre stage for an unusual 'scrubbing' and vocal take on It's Not Unusual. 

Earlier, London-based singer-songwriter Amelie (guitar, keyboards) entertained the arriving crowds. An all-original set, from What Colour is Love? to Colour Blind and more, Amelie's short set impressed her all-ears audience.   

If unalloyed entertainment is what you're after, look no further, Postmodern Jukebox is the show for you. PMJ will return and when they do, don't hesitate, book your seats, pronto! Russell          

Set list included: Hotel California; Thank You for the Music; Toxic; Copacabana (At the Copa); Die with a Smile; Super Mario Bros (tap dance medley); Red Right Hand; Radioactive; It's Not Unusual; Cantina Band; Wannabe; swing & tap medley; Die for You; Hallelujah; I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For; All About the Bass.
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