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

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 Kevin Eland (trumpet).
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.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 07: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Tuesday, January 02, 2024

Congratulations to William Joseph Watson BEM

I had to scroll through a lot of names to find him, that's one of the pitfalls of being a W in an alphabetical list which probably explains why Shirley Bassey was up at the top end.

Nevertheless, the announcement below that William Joseph Watson, 'his mother called him Bill', had been awarded a BEM in the New Year Honours List: 2024 was a pleasant surprise  and fully deserved.

William Joseph Watson Director, Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. For services to Music. (Crook, County Durham).

Album review: The Forest Hill Owls - The Debut Owlbum

The Forest Hill Owls: Harry Evans (trumpet, cornet); Michael McQuaid (clarinet, alto sax); Chris Lowe (trombone, vocals); Martin Wheatley (banjo, guitar); David Horniblow (bass sax); Nicholas D. Ball (drums) 

Yes, that’s ‘Owlbum’! Recorded in London as recently as September last year, trombonist Chris Lowes’ sextet, comprising some of the finest early or classic jazz specialists working on the British jazz scene, likely as not takes inspiration from the New Orleans Owls, a band active in the Crescent City during the 1920s. Forest Hill in south east London is home to several members of the band, hence the name Forest Hill Owls. 

Preview: 2024 (part 2)

And then there's the students. Largely term time dependent, keep an eye and ear open for Durham University students (Fabio's, jam session, Durham University Big Band at various venues), Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra (gigs and jam sessions here and there) and Jason Holcomb (Head of Brass, Newcastle University) leading a regular student jam night upstairs at the Globe

And then there's the festivals...Great North Big Band Jazz Festival (March 1-3), Hexham Jazz Festival (late May), Newcastle Jazz Festival (mid-August), Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music (late September/early October) and Mike Durham's International Classic Jazz Party (Nov 1-3).    

Monday, January 01, 2024

Preview: 2024 (part 1)

That was a very good year for jazz, wasn't it? 2023 that is. Packed houses, sold out notices, a 'one in, one out'  system in operation at a jam session (honestly!), who said: Jazz is dead?!  At BSH HQ (that's Hebburn, South Tyneside) it's time look forward to this year, 2024. And what a year it promises to be! On the local scene (broadly Tyneside, up north to Berwick, down to the Tees Delta and west to Hexham and sundry Tyne Valley outposts) there are many great gigs to look forward to. And there is 'local' interest further afield, both nationally and internationally...

Sunday, December 31, 2023

We made it!

Eleven posts in one day! Now if we had just eleven readers who could manage one post a day then my work would be done! Lance 

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Postmodern Jukebox ft. Rayvon Owen ...


Love it and PMJ are on at the Glasshouse on April 28.

Songs for Swingin' Airmen

It was a quarter to three (pm) no one in the billet except Jack Jackson (radio DJ) and me and what did I hear? It was Frank Sinatra singing How About You? from his latest Capital album Songs For Swingin' Lovers.

I had to have this. I jumped on my bike, I was a pretty fast guy on two wheels back then although not as fast as Barry Hoban who I once raced against. He went on to win eight stages of Le Tour and married Tommy Simpson's widow. My greatest achievement was in coming third out of five in a local (Lincolnshire) time trial and not marrying any widows.

New Year's Resolutions

I know that new year resolutions are made to be broken and that few reach February. However, here's a few to consider:

  • Attend as many jazz gigs as you're able to such as The Globe, Black Swan, Blaydon Jazz Club, Lit  & Phil, Crescent Club, Hoochie Coochie, the Glasshouse, Central Bar, Prohibition Bar, the Vault, Dorman's, Park Inn, the Gala, and any others where the J word is mentioned.
  • Also drink as much beer, wine or whatever your favourite tipple is as this ensures that the venue realises that the music is pulling in the customers. Of course, if you're driving ...
  • Don't get typecast as a purist - music is for everyone and if you don't try it ...

More on Tina Turner

Enjoyed the piece about the Tina Turner concert with John Miles. I saw her in concert at Gateshead Stadium - absolutely brilliant! 

The picture is from a gig I did with Brian Bennett and John Miles was in the audience along with quite a few other celebs. Brian Chester

Happy New Year to...

... Russell, Patti, Sylvia, Ann, Dave, JC, Jerry, Steve, Mike, Ken, Malcolm, Maurice, Sheila, Debra, Hugh, Colin A, Colin M, Roly and all the others who have shown their support with posts, photos and comments. Nor can we forget all the wonderful musicians without whom we'd have nothing to write about! Thank you. Lance.

Ps: And a special mention of those who won't be around next year as recorded HERE.

Blog Archive