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.

Monday, April 02, 2012

Frith Street @ The Cherry Tree.

Zita Frith (vcl); Phil Richardson (pno/feet); Lloyd Wright (gtr); Ian Paterson (bs); David Francis (dms).
Frith Street come into jazz via the cabaret entrance which makes them ideal Cherry Tree material.
Ms. Frith opened up with The Way You Look Tonight which I re-titled, in the chef's honour, as The Way You Cook Tonight after sampling his Bang Bang Chicken Salad. It was delicious and is of Chinese origin. I actually thought it may been a reference to pianist Richardson who taps his feet with such force I feared that the stage might collapse. Having said that, he does some nice things with his hands getting a good groove going behind the singer.
Alright OK You Win, Georgia on my Mind, Anthony Newley's The Candyman Cometh, There Will Never Be Another You and Nice Work If You Can Get It. This latter title seemed particularly apt as, at the time, I was devouring Confit Belly Pork, Spiced Red Cabbage, Pear and Apple Purée.
Other songs included Let's Face The Music And Dance, The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B, Oasis' She's Electric, Girl From Ipanema (in Portuguese), Sway, It's a Man's World and several others all sung impeccably albeit with less abandon than at the band's recent Hoochie Coochie gig.
Vanilla Panna Cotta with Hedgerow Berries was as tasty as Lloyd Wright's guitar playing - we could have done with a little more of the latter delicacy.  In the Engine Room Ian Paterson and David Francis kept the others fuelled to make this a 'Street' that should be an 'Avenue',
As a plus for the management - every table was occupied tonight.
Lance.

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