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Bebop Spoken There

Francis Tulip: ''Music speaks louder than words''. (Jazzwise, June 2025).

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

17,550 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 514 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (June 28).

From This Moment On ...

JULY 2025

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet with guest Josh Bentham.
Sun 06: Michael Woods @ The Cycle Hub, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Country blues guitar & vocals. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 06: Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Platform 2 Craft Ale Bar, Tynemouth Metro Station. 6:00-8:00pm. Free. Outside on the concourse. Limited seating, bring your own chair!
Sun 06: Hardy/Dixon/Champion/Karlsen @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 07: David Gray’s Flextet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Hopper-Watson Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. + £1.00. bf.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 10: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Soloists, Orchestras & Hot Fives.
Thu 10: Side Café Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 11: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church, Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00. A Bishop Auckland Jazz promotion. New venue (second Friday in the month)!
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Beehive, Earsdon NE25 0SZ. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Fiona Finden Jazz Express @ Flash House Brewery, North Shields NE30 1DS. 8:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Jazz Stage @ Mouth of the Tyne Festival. From 12 noon. Free. Vieux Carré Jazzmen (12 noon); Rendezvous Jazz (1:00pm); Mississippi Dreamboats (2:00pm); Classic Swing (3:00pm); Abbie Finn Trio (4:00pm). Stage adjacent to Tynemouth Priory.
Sat 12: Making Music Seminar: Latin American Music v. Music of Latin America @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00pm. £15.00. (£5.00. online). Jason Holcomb, Alix Shepherd & Carlos Luis Rivera.
Sat 12: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Lovaine Community Garden, North Shields. 7:00pm (doors 6:40pm). £6.00. Limited places, booking essential (via the Community Garden website). BYOF&D.
Sat 12: Hot Club du Nord @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Hall Two.
Sat 12: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. Free. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

CD Review: Henry Spencer and Juncture – The Reasons Don’t Change

(Review by Russell)
Henry Spencer and Juncture met as students at the Guildhall School of Music. Trumpeter Spencer plays with precision and passion – a winning combination. Bold, uninhibited, the opening track, one of ten – Introduction / Hindsight Can Wait – bristles with an energy one associates with the concert hall platform, Spencer, with steely nerve projecting to the upper circle and beyond.
Publicity material suggests a collective interest in jazz, rock and minimalism. Add a bravura attitude reminiscent of Chick Corea’s Return to Forever period and you begin to hear a fearless improviser at work in Henry Spencer’s trumpet playing. Juncture can, and do, take it down, Never Draw a Line being one such example – the resonant tones of double bassist Andrew Robb, pianist (and Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer and mellotron!) Matt Robinson’s thoughtful contribution and the impressive guitar playing of Nick Costley-White embracing the jazz chord and a jazz-rock fusion vocabulary.   
Drummer David Ingamells sparkles throughout, not least on Still Open to Confusion, a powerful five minutes and eighteen seconds of group interplay. Spencer’s quintet is augmented on four tracks by the Guastalla Quartet adding subtle textures to Spencer’s compositions.
The Reasons Don’t Change is an impressive debut. One imagines the in-concert performance will be something special. Recommended.               
Henry Spencer and Juncture have an album launch night at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London on February 7th. The Reasons Don’t Change will be released by Whirlwind Recordings (WR4698). Tour dates follow with several gigs in the south-west. For up to date details visit Henry Spencer’s website: www.henryspencermusic.com   
Russell.
Album trailer.
Henry Spencer (trumpet & flugelhorn), Nick Costley-White (guitar), Matt Robinson (piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer & melotron), Andrew Robb (double bass) & David Ingamells (drums) + The Guastalla Quartet: John Garner (violin), Marie Shreer (violin), Agata Darashkaite (viola) & Sergio Serra (cello)   
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