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, March 24, 2010

Customs House Big Band with Ruth Lambert @ Customs House, South Shields. March 24



Peter Morgan (md/tmb), Ken de Vere, Gordon Marshall, Michael Lamb, Simon Dennis, Paul Riley-Gledhill (tpts), Chris Gurgit-Smith, Mike Fletcher, Gareth Weaver (tmbs), Jill Brett (alt/flt), Elaine Willis (alt/clt), Alan Marshall, Jim McBriarty (ten), Chris Atkinson (bar), Bill Britain (pno), John Lowe (bs), Roy Willis (gtr), Ian Wynd (dms), Ruth Lambert (vcl).



All I can do is reiterate Russell's comments from last night - albeit I don't share his apathy towards Glenn Miller, possibly because In The Mood was the first record I ever bought and it sent me on this wonderful journey that took over the rest of my life!

What Russell didn't mention was that Jim McBriarty had nice solos on Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue and I've Found a New Baby or that trumpets Lamb and Dennis also blew well. The trumpet section tonight, incidentally, was filled out by Gordon Marshall.
Stardust didn't bother me and I applaud the attempt to present it differently  Artie Shaw still rules on that one though.
What did knock me out was the rich and lush arrangement of Warm Feeling - it had just that!
And Ruth! As well as the numbers Russell enthused about, our girl also did Love is Here To Stay, Bewitched, Night and Day, The Man I Love and a knock-out version of Time After Time where her jazz qualities really took hold.
Excellent concert although not the full house it deserved.
Lance.
PS: I agree - Jill was exceptional.
Customs House Big Band website.

2 comments :

Bill Weston said...

We were at the Customs House on Tuesday 23rd and enjoyed the programme. At some point during the evening Peter Morgan advised us that the band would be playing in September at the Saville Exchange. Would you know the exact date as I can't find it on the Saville website.

Lance said...

June 18 at the Saville. 8:00 start.

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