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

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Big Bear Stompers @ Customs House South Shields May 10.

Dave Moorwood (ldr/bjo/vcl); Andy Woon, Tony Davis (tpts); Gavin Lee (clt/sop); Bob Wilson (tmb); Perry Lock (pno); John Arthy (tuba); Andy Crisp (vcl); Judy Eames (vcl).
(Review by Lance.)
In the beginning there was King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band in New Orleans, then, 20 or more years later, his music was revived in San Francisco by Lu Waters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band whose re-creation was itself revived by the Big Bear Stompers in the Midlands (UK). in 1989 - they have been stomping ever since or as one of the numbers went, Charlestoning Back to Charleston!
Tonight was rather special for the audience at the Customs House as, depping on clarinet and soprano was Gavin Lee who hails from but a few miles down the coast. This was his first time with the band and he soloed and read the parts (yes music stands to the fore) as if he'd been a founder member!
The two trumpets worked well together their contrasting styles complementing each other. Andy Woon the more flamboyant, Davis a little more restrained but effective in his own way. Bob Wilson slid nicely into the front line and leader Moorwood was full of jollity and banjo and vocal on the aforementioned Charleston number. This really was Goodtime Jazz,
The engine room chomped and stomped, Lock played idiomatic piano, Arthy the tuba, hidden behind the monster supplied the pulse and Crisp did the business, temple blocks and all.
Judy Eames on vocal gave us Squeeze Me, My Honey's Lovin' Arms, Gulf Coast Blues, Milenberg Joys, Trouble in Mind - a splendid version of Too Busy and You Ain't the One which featured the horns doing 8s, 4s, 2s, that worked well.
Instrumentals included Irish Black Bottom, C'mon and Stomp, Delta Moon,, Buddy's Habits, Midnight Stomp, Working Man Blues and a Moorwood original, Emperor Norton's Hunch.
It was a good session and if you missed it, catch them at Trinity Church and Centre, Gosforth High Street tonight (Saturday May 11)
Lance.

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