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

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Poet Keith Armstrong in Prague back again! Thursday 3. 6. 2010 - 10 PM - The Globe Bookstore, Pštrossova 6, Prague 1 Friday 4. 6. 2010 - 8 PM - Klu

Below is a translation from the Polish sent to me by Dr. Keith Armstrong. Now whilst some might say that this has as much to do with jazz as Michael Bublé has I have included the item because a) Dr Armstrong is an enthusiastic jazzophile and b) he has written/is writing a series of jazz based poems including a long overdue Lestorian epic which is rapidly taking on the mysticism of the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Lindisfarne Gospels and the recipe for Betty's Hotpot combined. Plus with the Polish Jazz Focus @ The Sage imminent it seems the right time to think Polish.
Question for Dr Armstrong - will the reading be in Polish or English?
Lance.

Keith Armstrong, a well known poet from north-eastern English Newcastle, is not performing in Prague for the first time. His somewhat rebellious poetry is inspired by his hometown, which spreads itself where the river Tyne runs into sea. It is full of memories of his father, who worked in a local shipyard, and it is influenced by a nostalgic ambience of mariners’ pubs and industrial harbour corners. But at the same time his poetry doesn’t recalcitrates ticklish or controversial topics (Falklands, politics), reflects on long-time poets, erotic verses or profession to local football legends. Keith is also a poet-traveller. He periodically visits university at Tübingen, Holland and other countries and his ways lead him also to more exotic corners like Cuba or The Soviet Union. In his home town Keith also functions as an organizer of poetic events. He is wreathed by a title Honoris Causa Doctor of Durham University. His poetry is communicatory and his interpretation is easy to understand. The texts in a written form will be also at your disposal.

In the second half of the evening Keith’s friend Jakub Zahradník will play a cycle of songs called "The Melly-Belly Songs" where he especially for this occasion set Keith’s poems to music. Jakub repeatedly visited Newcastle, Durham and coastal district of Northumberland, which is bordering to Scotland and is full of romantic remains. He had an opportunity to perform there, meet local poets and taste all brands of ales. In a song cycle called Five Sea Songs he set to music poems of Northumbrian poetess Katrina Porteous and together with a filmmaker Oliver Malina Morgernstern he created a documentary about his journey called Inspiration Quest, which could be seen on the internet pages YouTube.

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