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.

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Customs House Big Band + Ruth Lambert. Open rehearsal @ the New Crown, South Shields.

Paul Riley-Gledhill, Michael Lamb, Simon Dennis, Darren Urwin, Gordon Marshall (tpts). Gareth Weaver, Eddie Bellis, "Squib" (tmbs). Peter Morgan (bs/tmb md). Jill Brett, Elaine Willis (alt), Alan Marshall, Jim McBriarty (ten), Chris Kaberry (bar). Paul Edis (pno), Neil Harland (bs), Roy Willis (gtr), David Francis (dms). Ruth Lambert (vcl).
Life could not better be! Over the past three days, I've heard two fabulous big bands, two of the best vocalists around and spoke to a third (Zoe) played two gigs myself with the Chilli Road Band and the Tour de France is on TV.
Tonight, after my early evening gig, I dashed down to the New Crown where the Custom Houses Big Band were in open rehearsal mode. A couple of surprises in the rhythm section - Paul Edis (piano) and Neil Harland (bass).
The band worked on Every Time We Say Goodbye and Softly As In A Morning Sunrise whilst I worked on a pint of Hobgoblin. Paul Edis was superb on Softly.
The second set was the usual piquant sandwich of Ruth and band.
Ruth smoothed her way through I Get A Kick Out of You (nice solo from Jill), My Heart Belongs To Daddy, Time After Time and S'wonderful. Splendido!
Instrumentals included Jersey Bounce, Goodwin's High Maintenance (Eddie Bellis on trombone) and It Don't Mean A Thing.
Kudos tonight to Alan Marshall who gets a nice cool sound on tenor - he swung throughout and every solo was on the money.
Good band and good company.
Lance.

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