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.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

William, Kate, Harry James & Robert Crais

It's been a good day. Still on a high after yesterday's wedding - a million people lining The Mall (personally I counted at least another 50!) made me feel good and wishing I was there. Today I Metro'd down to South Shields in, by Tyneside standards, sub-tropical temperatures. I needed a pint and something to read. First charity shop I entered had a vinyl Harry James for 75p. A couple of live 1940 broadcasts from the Southland Café, Boston and the Hotel Lincoln in NYC. Vocals by Dick Haymes and the Ray Harley like trumpet of the leader made this a must buy. I still needed some reading material which came about via Robert Crais' The Monkey's Raincoat. Just when I thought Raymond Chandler was gone forever I find a book by Robert Crais who is very much in the maestro's mode - "I'll bet you were the third prettiest girl in Eleventh Grade." She smiled and said, "Second actually." Reading material sorted I dropped into the South Shields branch of J.D. Wetherspoon's. To my delight they were still in patriotic mode wih union jacks strewn across the ceiling and a pint of an appropriately named ale from York Breweries (can't remember the name but it was 4.8% and tasted lovely!) Rounded off the day listening to the vinyl - James could blow and Corky Corcoran's tenor wasn't bad either!
Lance.

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