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

18402 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 31 ), 76

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

April

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.

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: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). Free. Chicago blues.

Sat 04: Jake Leg Jug Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Anthropology. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £10.00.
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 Quintet + guest Neil Brodie (trumpet).
Sun 05: Mark Williams & Tom Remon @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Jazzmain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Zoë Gilby & Johnny Hunter @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Giants of Jazz @ Roker Park.

Mick Hill (tpt), Don Fairly (tmb), Gavin Lee (clt), Brian Bennett (bjo), Phil Henderson (sousa), George Davidson (dms).
The last time I encountered a band that styled themselves as "The Giants of Jazz" the line-up included Dizzy, Monk, Sonny Stitt & Kai Winding. As all of the above are now dead the only living Giant of Jazz I could think of was Sonny Rollins. My heart went pitter patter and I hurried to the park in Roker, Sunderland.
Alas, when I saw Brian Bennett, I realised that Rollins wouldn't be mounting this bandstand although Sonny Rollins (79 on Monday Sept. 7) with banjo accompaniment does offer some intriguing possibilities.
Speaking with Brian he explained that the term "Giants" referred to the band's expanding waistlines. He explained he was only depping and had had to stuff a pillowcase down his trousers before he was allowed on the stand.
They kicked off with "Alexander's Ragtime Band", followed by "When You're Smiling", "Lazy River", "I Want a Little Girl", "At the Jazz Band Ball" and so on - all good tried and tested standards.
Mick Hill gave a strong lead and soloed with panache. He reminded me at times of Ray Harley, his big strong tone leading them to the promised land. On trombone, Don also played with a more modern approach than is the norm for trad bands.
Clarinetist Gavin Lee is probably the most New Orleansy of the frontline and he weaved in an out of the ensemble with the skill and technique of an Irving Fazola. Gavin also plays at Corner House on this coming Monday night with the Vieux Carré Jazzmen.
Banjo, sousaphone and drums did the necessary and, despite the cold, wet, afternoon it was a good session and, because they were unamplified, there was the added bonus of being spared the pseudo - Satchmo vocals so beloved of British tradsters.
Lance.
The final park gigs of the season takes place at Carlisle Park, Morpeth (or is it Morpeth Park, Carlisle?) next Sunday Sept. 13 when the RIVER CITY JAZZMEN play 2 sets (2:30 pm & 3:45 pm and, on the same afternoon from 1:00 pm CONTRABAND smuggle their brand of smooth jazz into Newbiggin.
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