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

18361 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 215 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 8 ), 25

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 13: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00.
Fri 13: The SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Soothsayers + Rookie Numbers @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.

Sat 14: The Too Bad Jims @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. R&B.
Sat 14: NUJO @ Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. Time TBC. £15.00. supporter; £10.00. standard; £5.00. student. Seated event.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: The Too Bad Jims @ The Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £12.00. R&B.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Rebecca Poole @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Poole w. Dean Stockdale & Ken Marley. CANCELLED!

Mon 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Scotty Adair (drums).

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.

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

Monday, May 23, 2011

Marianne Faithfull @ The Sage, Gateshead.

Marianne Faithfull (vcl); acc. by Kate St.John (keys, alt, cor anglais, acc. etc); Rory McFarlane (bs); Martin Bark? (dms); Don Pedigo (gtr); Wayne Kramer (gtr).
I wasn't sure what to expect - I knew there wouldn't be any jazz although, paradoxically, the background music in between sets was Creole Love Call and Prelude To A Kiss.
A lot of the material was from Marianne's latest CD - Horses and High Heels and she did indeed open with the title track.
She's entertaining and the half filled Level One, Hall One, loved her as, with complete disregard to today's PC culture she bonded with them by having a cigarette on stage!
The band were, not surprisingly, honed in Stones/'60s blasts with Ms Faithfull doing things to Johnn Lennon's Working Class Man, Dusty Springfield's Goin' Back, Back in my Baby's Arms Again. The voice may have sunk deeper and the range somewhat narrow but, nevertheless, Marianne seems to be in her comfort zone with the material. It was an impressive performance.
Earlier, support act, Gabby Young (pictured with ?) displayed no range limitations - her comfort zone is of operatic proportions! Billed as Gabby Young and Other Animals it was somewhat disturbing that she brought only 1 other animal - a guitarist (pictured left) whose name I missed. Presumably the other animals were in quarantine. This was a shame as I was looking forward to hearing the eight piece which includes trumpet, trombone and clarinet. Nevertheless Gabby gave a polished performance of original material and I look forward to hearing her again with the full band.
Lance.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

I was wondering if Johnn Lennon's 'Working Class Man' was the polite version of John Lennon's 'Working Class Hero'?

JC

Lance said...

My apologies - it was at the end of the night
'Hero' is right,
And it wasn't polite
I'll end the rhyme now...

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