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

From This Moment On ...

March

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.

Thu 19: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Stephen Joshua Sondheim.
Thu 19: FILM: Köln 75 @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:30pm. £10.00., £7.00., £3.00. Dir. Ido Fluk. Fictional account of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 Köln concert. A Tyne Valley Film Festival preview screening.
Thu 19: Ransom Van @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Fri 20: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Theon Cross + support @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £13.31., £11.16., £9.04. Support set feat. members of balletLORENT’s Creative Studio in association with NYJO.
Fri 20: Groove Crusade @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Jason Isaacs Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £32.00.
Fri 20: Joe Steels Group @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £12.00. +bf, £15.00. on the door. A Blue Patch album tour. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 20: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ Riverdale Hall Hotel, Bellingham NE48 2JT. Tel: 01434 220254. 8:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 21: Freetime Old Dixie Jass Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. FODJB (Holland).
Sat 21: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sat 21: Ray Stubbs R&B Allstars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22:Jack Pearce Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, 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

Friday, July 09, 2010

Bob Caswell & Frank Brooker with Blaydon Jazz Trio @ Blaydon Jazz Club. 8th July.

Bob Caswell (vocals), Frank Brooker (tenor saxophone, clarinet & vocals), Jeremy McMurray (piano), Pete Ayton (electric bass) & John Hirst (drums)
Front line veterans Bob Caswell and Frank Brooker shared the limelight in the company of a first class rhythm section featuring 'house' pianist Jeremy McMurray, Pete Ayton, McMurray's Teesside sidekick playing six string electric bass and as Down Beat would say, 'rising star' John Hirst on drums.
Brooker warmed up with the trio on a couple of numbers before Caswell took it on with The Best Things in Life Are Free. Caswell possesses that old school stage craft and charm, Brooker clearly enjoyed working alongside him and for the most part was content to play a supportive role - this was very much Caswell's night. Brooker closed the first set playing clarinet on a storming version of Monk's Straight No Chaser.
The second set promised much as Brooker got down to business - jacket off, sleeves rolled up - One Foot in the Gutter followed by Hank Mobley's Soul Station were the real deal, taken at a lick with an infusion of blues for good measure. Caswell sang Ol' Man River setting such a tempo that the boys in the band did well to hang on in there. The Lady is a Tramp, Cry Me a River and others showcased our vocalist's impeccable phrasing and reading of a lyric. McMurray was on form (is he ever off form?) , Ayton knows his way around his instrument and John Hirst is, quite simply, a 'rising star'.
Audience numbers were given a welcome boost with an invited party of Mothers and Toddlers (thankfully the latter were at home in bed) and regulars from Blaydon CIU Club's dance night. A jazz crowd they weren't - Ronnie Scott would certainly have had something to say but this was a bold initiative by Roly & co. to try and stimulate interest in the always excellent jazz on offer at Blaydon Jazz Club. The next session is in September - Thursday 9th - featuring the Blaydon Jazz Quartet with the added bonus, at no extra cost, of the fabulous Ms. Ruth Lambert.
Russell.
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive