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

18602 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 466 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 8) 17

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

Sat 13: Ladies of Midnight Blue + Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington NE63 9YF. Free. From 10:00am. Ladies of Midnight Blue (3:00-3:45pm); Northern Monkey Brass Band (4:00-4:45pm).
Sat 13: Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 13: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Saltburn Bandstand. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sat 13: Courtney Pine @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £35.80. Pine (saxophones); Robert Mitchell (piano); Rio Kai (double bass); Romarna Campbell (drums). ‘A Modern-Day Jazz Story 1986 - 2026’.

Sun 14: Front Porch Band: Swing Tyne’s Swing Social @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations (£5.00. - £10.00. suggested). Swing dance event w. taster class (12:30pm).
Sun 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 14: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 14: Doctor Jazz @ The Old Church, Sacriston, Durham. 3:00-5:00pm . Free (donations welcome). New Orleans, blues & classic 20th century songs. Food & soft drinks available, BYOB.
Sun 14: Eddie Gripper Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.

Mon 15: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 15: Dan Johnson w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 16: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: 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 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Zed-U @ Cluny 2. Tuesday March 29

Shabaka Hutchings (tenor saxophone, clarinet & electonics), Neil Charles (electric bass & electronics) & Tom Skinner (drums & electronics).
I rushed into The Cluny just in time for the start of the first set to find the place packed to the rafters. I quickly realised this couldn't possibly be a Schmazz gig. The Zed-U gig was in Cluny 2, the smaller satellite venue next door.
My arrival took the audience numbers above and beyond single figures - all things considered this was something of an achievement two days after the Gateshead Festival marathon.
Zed-U played with an undercurrent of dub reggae; Tom Skinner's constantly shifting patterns locked on to Neil Charles' hypnotic bass grooves. Shabaka Hutchings' saxophone and clarinet rode over the rock steady foundation producing occasional meditative sounds suggesting a Coltrane influence then it was all out biting tenor as the trio reached a crescendo before the sound dissipated into stillness.
The trio's sound was different to that of the Loop and F-ire Collectives. Bassist Charles, formerly of Empirical, was central to this welcome change of direction. Charles and Hutchings hail from Birmingham and were working in the same environment as Soweto Kinch before the bright lights of London beckoned. On the evidence of this Newcastle performance it was easy to understand why, at one point, Courtney Pine employed Hutchings. The Schmazz regulars lapped it up.
Russell.
at

3 comments :

Scott Fenner (on FB) said...

Another great gig I've missed that I had no idea about! I saw these supporting Ladyland in London in January, they were great. Would have loved have seen the Led Bib gig too but was busy and couldn't have gone even if I'd known about it. I've gotta start checking your site more often! Do you have a mailing list that has upcoming gigs?

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 7:58:00 pm
Lance said...

I usually list gigs for the week ahead. A North-east jazz e-mailing service is available from
paulbream773@btinternet.com.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 8:06:00 pm
Roly said...

Hearing Russell's tale of the packed room I am reminded of a similar experience. The Clint Eastwwod film 'Bird' had just been released. With great anticipation we went to the local cinema complex first night, where there was a very long queue. I was impressed so many had come to see the film about the great man. Then came an announcement "will all those here to see 'A fish named Wanda' step this way please". You guessed it! Virtually everyone stepped that way, leaving only a paltry few waiting to see 'Bird'. Ah well - back down to earth with a bump.
Enjoyed the film.
Roly

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 9:19:00 pm

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