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'Ella & Ellington' Preview at Sunderland Fire station
Ella & Ellington, Strictly Smokin', full house. It's becoming a common occurrence, Strictly Smokin' Big Band playing to capacity audiences.
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Bebop Spoken Here
- May 21
- 2 min
Harlem '58 - Queen's Hall, Hexham
As the house lights dimmed, the near full house heard the strains of Avenue C. The recorded music gave way to the SSBB's rhythm section seam
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Bebop Spoken Here
- May 14
- 1 min
Harlem '58 - The Witham
FRIDAY 28th APRIL 2023 THE WITHAM, BARNARD CASTLE The Witham on Horse Market isn't a noted jazz venue but thanks to the popularity of the...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Feb 27
- 2 min
MATT FORD with Strictly Smokin' Big Band
FRIDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2023 HALL 2, SAGE GATESGEAD It doesn't get much better than this. Top singer (actually two top singers) and a big...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Dec 23, 2022
- 2 min
Hoochie Coochie Christmas
Friday 23rd December 2022 HOOCHIE COOCHIE The band moved, the dancers moved and one of the non-dancers was moved to remark that he...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Dec 16, 2022
- 2 min
Christmas at GCT 2023
Friday 16th & Saturday 17th December 2023 GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE If it's the week before Christmas there's is only one place to be and...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Oct 22, 2022
- 2 min
DAVE O'HIGGINS celebrating 20 YEARS of Strictly Smokin' Big Band
SUNDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2022 HOOCHIE COOCHIE This was, to quote from Larry Hart's lyric in Thou Swell, "a sweet lollapalooza" or as Cole...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Aug 17, 2022
- 1 min
Newcastle Jazz Festival 2022
I said it began with a BANG and I wasn't just referring to the power of the brass on Buddy's Big Swing Face! I was bemused as I tried to...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Jun 17, 2022
- 2 min
Cobalt Studios
SATURDAY 18th JUNE 2022 A new venue for the SSBB in this, the band's twentieth anniversary year.* The word 'industrial' springs to mind...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Feb 26, 2022
- 2 min
PETE LONG with Strictly Smokin' Big Band
SATURDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2022 HALL 2, SAGE GATESGEAD I'd heard Pete Long's Ellington/Strayhorn inspired suite based around Gustav Holst's...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Aug 12, 2021
- 2 min
SSBB at Newcastle Jazz Festival 2021
Friday 13th August Newcastle Jazz Festival at Newcastle Civic Centre This promised much and delivered even more! Alice Grace singing Ella...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Apr 19, 2020
- 2 min
Premiere: Great Day In Harlem (Harlem '58)
Saturday 20th April 2020 Gosforth Civic Theatre This was quite an occasion, indeed a unique one, not to mention a historic one! A Great...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Mar 13, 2020
- 3 min
Flat Caps Coffee
FRIDAY 13TH (!) MARCH I’d maybe have been to The Odeon and heard Duke or Basie, the City Hall where I heard just about everybody else or,...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Feb 29, 2020
- 2 min
MIKE LOVATT with Strictly Smokin' Big Band
SATURDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2020 HALL 2, SAGE GATESHEAD Some cats can some cats can’t. Mike Lovatt can! Mike Lovatt can do what? Mike Lovatt...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Oct 19, 2019
- 2 min
CLAIRE MARTIN OBE with Strictly Smokin' Big Band
SUNDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2019 HOOCHIE COOCHIE I’ve stopped using plaudits like ‘Gig of the Month’, ‘Gig of the Year’ etc. There are just too...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Aug 16, 2019
- 1 min
SSBB at Newcastle Jazz Festival 2019
SATURDAY 17TH AUGUST 2019 NEWCASTLE JAZZ FESTIVAL TYNE BANK BREWERY Special mention also to the heroes of the hour. Michael Lamb and...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Jun 22, 2019
- 3 min
Alice Grace, Jen Davies & Carly McKee with SSBB at Hoochie Coochie
Sunday 23rd June 2019 Hoochie Coochie Never has the phrase 'hit the deck running' been more apt than at Hoochiee last night! SSBB did...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Feb 23, 2019
- 4 min
MARK NIGHTINGALE with Strictly Smokin' Big Band
Saturday 23rd February 2019 Hall 2, Sage Gateshead Michael Lamb and the SSBB think big when they book a guest artist. Over the last few...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Sep 15, 2018
- 2 min
POLLY GIBBONS with Strictly Smokin' Big Band
Sunday 16th September 2018 Hoochie Coochie When Hoochie's head honcho Warren says that Polly Gibbons is in the top ten acts he's heard...
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Bebop Spoken Here
- Aug 25, 2018
- 2 min
ALAN BARNES with Strictly Smokin' Big Band
Saturday 26th August 2018 Ushaw Jazz Festival It wouldn't be Ushaw without Punch (A.K.A Alan Barnes). The much-travelled sax/clarinet ace...
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