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, December 16, 2012

Ian Shaw: The Sage, Friday December 14th

Ian Shaw (vocals and comedy); Barry Green (piano)
(Review by Ann Alex).
This was the second set of the performance involving Sector 7 (first set  to be reviewed shortly).  We were mightily entertained with great vocals, piano, and a good helping of comedy.  The amusing stories about weight loss, loss of virginity in Morpeth, and cheeky shouts to the technicians to turn down the lights, flowed well between songs both amusing and sad, with lots of space for the pianist to display his soloing skills. 

Do Your Stuff opened the show with the singer obviously enjoying the rhyming couplets, scatting in a falsetto voice and swapping 4s as if there was to be no tomorrow in which to sing.  We moved on to a witty Fran Landersman song Small Day Tomorrow, followed by Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most; then a lively version of Cole Porter’s Let’s Do It, with extra images added.
Because there was lots of comedy, the more serious songs were more effective by contrast, so I’m Glad There Is You was quite moving. The audience was encouraged to sing along for some familiar bits of songs, not something that normally happens except if it’s folk music!  Use Me Up had the audience guessing when to applaud because of the teasing false endings.  The whole performance was rounded off in Christmas style with the singers of sector 7 coming on stage for a performance of Christina Rossetti’s hymn In The Bleak Midwinter, sung with wonderful harmonies to the Gustav Holst tune.  A fitting ending to a very good evening of music and fun. 
Ann Alex  

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