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, February 16, 2013

Hula Bluebirds @ Customs House, South Shields Friday February 15.

Jake Rodriguez (gtr/vcl/uke); Martin Wheatley (gtr/uke/ etc.); David Croft (uke/magic).
(Review by Lance.)
This was a zany, yakka hula hickey dula ride through various genre Hawaiian style.
It was jazz - with Martin Wheatley taking the bulk of the solos it couldn't be anything else"
But it was also Hawaiian, Country, Rock - it was everything but, most of all, it was entertainment.
This band were here to put on a show and they did just that.
When was the last time you heard a jazz version of A Wee Deoch and Doris? - I bet even Tommy Smith and SNJO don't have that one in the book!
Suitably clad in Hawaiian shirts, the trio took the room by storm. Wheatley may have been playing laptop Hawaiian but his solos owed as much to the other 49 states as they did to the 50th.
Rodrigues sang lead and played rhythm.- he kept it all together throwing in a bit of yodelling on Jimmy Rodgers' Treasures Untold..
Then there was David Croft. Rhythm ukulele he was good at, a floor show of magical card tricks he was ok at too. It was the things he could do with balloons that really rang the bell - quite amazing.
This was a fun evening and they do it all over again at Trinity Centre Gosforth tonight - don't miss it.
Lance.

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