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, May 28, 2012

The Groove-A-Matics @ The Magnesia Bank, North Shields/ CD Review "Gotta Use What You've Got"

John Whitehill (gtr); Mick Cantwell (vcl/ten/hca); "Crutch"? (bs); Barry Race (dms). (Photo courtesy of Amanda Morgan).
Winners of the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival Battle of the Blues Competition, the G-A-Ms warmed up with a storming gig prior to their appearance at the actual festival which is held in New Brunswick, Canada, in September.
Regular bass guitarist John Morgan is incapacitated - the reason some previous gigs were cancelled - but dep "Crutch" ensured that this show went on.
Barry Race stokes things up with a relentless, almost hypnotic beat as saxist, harpist, vocalist Mick Cantwell delivers the poetry to a melange of Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm 'n' Blues, Funk 'n' Soul, "Baby done me wrong" songs interspersed with King Curtis tenor blasts.  Close your eyes and you done left North Shields for the South Side of Chicago and you're listening to Muddy Waters or even Louis Jordan.
On guitar one of those local legends - John Whitehill - proves that he still has it. Blistering blues lines, chordal thrashes and a variety of original compositions that hold their own alongside the covers.
A good gig that, if you missed it or can't make it to Canada in September, can be re-created by grabbing a copy of their CD Gotta Use What You've Got.
Lance.
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