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.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

ACV @ Kings Hall, Newcastle Uni.

Andy Champion (bs), Graeme Wilson (ten/bar), Mark Williams (gtr), Paul Edis (pno), Adrian Tilbrook (dms).
The portraits looked down from the walls. I was reminded of the opera Ruddigore where the portrayed ancestors came to life.
I wondered how the subjects of portraits in Kings Hall would handle coming to life 'midst an ACV gig?
I'd like to think they enjoyed it as much as I did.
Not that there weren't problems.
The acoustics, full of booming echoes did the band no favours despite an intensive sound check. Mark had some guitar amp hang-ups that were only sorted by a change of amp.
This meant that the band weren't heard at their 100% best. Nevertheless, 90% ACV is equal to most band's 120% if that makes sense.
What I like about ACV is that they are a jazz group seeking to extend the music's horizons without knocking down the walls. All five can operate in any genre you care to name but it is as a forceful contemporary unit such as this where they truly blossom.
I'm not going to single out - they've all been well documented within these pages 'cept to mention that, with every gig, Andy takes on a whiter shade of Mingus and a bass sound near as full.
Can you think of a better way to spend 50 minutes on a Thursday afternoon?
Lance.

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