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

18361 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 215 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 8 ), 25

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 13: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00.
Fri 13: The SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Soothsayers + Rookie Numbers @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.

Sat 14: The Too Bad Jims @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. R&B.
Sat 14: NUJO @ Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. Time TBC. £15.00. supporter; £10.00. standard; £5.00. student. Seated event.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: The Too Bad Jims @ The Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £12.00. R&B.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Rebecca Poole @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Poole w. Dean Stockdale & Ken Marley. CANCELLED!

Mon 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Scotty Adair (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: The ’58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club, West Park, 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 18: Brand New Heavies @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Gilad Atzmon and Strings - The Sage, Gateshead.

Gilad Atzmon (alt/sop/clt), Frank Harrison (pno), Yaron Stavi (bs), Eddie Hick (dms). Sigamos String Quartet. This was more than just a re-creation of the legendary Bird with Strings albums from the 1950s - it was much much more. Admittedly Gilad paid lip-service to Charlie Parker inasmuch as he faithfully re-produced the themes and the string voicing was more or less as per the original but in-between he was very much his own man. He soared with Birdlike fluency on numbers such as "Just Friends", ""Everything Happens To Me", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "What Is This Thing Called Love" and "April In Paris" or "April In Gateshead" as he re-titled the Vernon Duke classic. However, there was also the other trademarks we have come to expect from Gilad - the World Music blasts on soprano and clarinet, the ethnic chanting and the humour. Let's not forget the humour. His laid back delivery was worthy of any stand-up comic. "Charlie Parker was born in Hartlepool." Pause for the audience to digest this preposterous statement then, "He wasn't born in Hartlepool, he actually came from Kansas City but it doesn't matter. Hartlepool, Kansas City, they're both the same!" The inevitable political edges also crept in but what counted above all else was the music and his fantastic alto playing. The Sigamos Strings - 2 violins, viola and cello - led by Ros Stephen did what was asked of them expertly and professionally joining in the spirit of things by adding their voices to some of Gilad's Turkish incantations. Drummer, Eddie Hick, was superb and piano and bass filled in the cracks. It was one grand evening. Earlier, in the Barbour Room, a jam session saw Claude Werner, Ben Gilbert, Lawrence Blackadder and some students from the afternoon workshop with Gilad strut their stuff. Harley Johnson played "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise", Fiona Littlewood and Nicola Weaver did "Doxy" and my good friend Ann Alexander, making a rare departure from the world of Folk, sang "Summertime". Photos from Jam Session.
Lance.
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