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.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sam Coombes Quartet @ The Bridge Hotel.

The city is alive as I take a leisurely stroll back to the High Level and the Bridge Hotel for The Sam Coombes Quartet: Sam Coombes (alt), Dave Patrick (pno), Mario Caribe (bs), Stu Brown (dms).
After last night's grand turnout for Milestones I'm optimistic that a large proportion of those 'fans' will be at the Bridge for the Lee Konitz inspired altoist but, as so often happens, fans are fickle.
Drummer Brown led his own sextet at last year's Sage Jazz Festival, Mario Caribe is a bass playing name - last heard him at Lockerbie Jazz Festival - whilst Dave Patrick is known on the world jazz stage surely a combination to have them beating down the door.
Sadly, not so.
Nevertheless, for the second time in two days we heard some dazzling alto playing . A goodly mix of originals and standards made this a delightful session. Darn That Dream, Have You Met Miss Jones and Miles' 7 Steps To Heaven were all shown the respect they deserved whilst the originals were just that and displayed not only the leader's creativity as a composer but also pianist Patricks' talents in that direction.
An excellent gig deserving of a wider audience.
The musical loop was complete - finishing on a high note - but where were the people?
Lance.

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