Bebop Spoken There

Ludovic Beier (Django Festival Allstars): ''Manouche means 'free man,' and gypsies have been travelers since they migrated west from India to Europe.'' (DownBeat March, 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

18383 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 247 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 17 ), 57

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

March

Mon 30: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 30: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 31: Bede Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Albert Hills Wright (alto sax); Finn Carter (piano); Michael Dunlop (double bass).

April

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Musicians playing classical & orchestral music.
Thu 02: The Noel Dennis Band @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £10.84. Quartet plus special guest Zoë Gilby. Over 21s only.
Thu 02: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 02: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00. adv..
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Heat is On

Last week at the Chillingham the punters were topping up their drinks with anti-freeze in an attempt to keep warm – this week the heating was back on although I think one or two were still on the anti-freeze. Perhaps they'd developed a taste for it. Some great things happened on the bandstand tonight. Mark Williams literally blew everyone away with an amazing guitar blast on “Four”. On “Blues For Duane” he did it again before Dave Weisser sang the Annie Ross take on Wardell Gray's “Twisted”. How he managed to remember all the words never mind vocalese them so well amazed me! Darren Grainger played strident alto throughout and Barry Ashcroft had more than a few good choruses. Eric Stutt drove the rhythm section along nicely whilst John Pope is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with on double bass. On second thoughts, delete 'fast becoming'. The second set saw James on guitar for “Stella” along with Paul Gowland on alto. “Yardbird Suite” taken at tempo de lick had Paul in full flight with Mark, who had taken over from James midway, also knocking them in. David Carnegie, now on drums, kept the pot boiling for one of the better nights.

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Hi Lance

Your gig review is spot-on.Mark Williams is seriously good and John Pope seems to have it ''in the pocket'' as they say.Mr.Weisser can capture the essence of a lyric,I look forward to the next time he sings ''Willow Weep for Me''.

Russell

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