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.

Friday, May 03, 2013

The Collective @ Hoochie Coochie May 2.


Chris Jelly (vbs); Brendan Murphy (bs marimba); Tim Bloomer (gtr); Katie Trigger (bs gtr); Dominic Snaith (keys); Robbie Houston (dms); + Hannah Rickard (vcl), Angus ? (gtr); Alex Saxon, Jamie Toms, Arthur Higgins (saxes). (Photo by Andy Siddons - click for more)
The final jam by The Collective at Hoochie and what a finale!
The guests were Chris Jelly on vibes and Brendan Murphy on bass marimba and boy did they cut loose!
Some of their material was by renowned vibists Gary Burton and Emil Richards and it was as if it was those two players who were slugging it out like back street brawlers. The interplay between the two was simply sensational and the 8 mallet unison passages incredible. Murphy, of course, is known for his percussion work with the Northern Monkey Brass Band but Jelly was a new name to me - he's in a band called King Bee who play Hoochie in August - not to be confused with a band of the same name who, presumably, are from a different apiary and appear at The Sage Americana Festival in July..
The old song goes It Must be Jelly 'cos Jam Don't Shake Like That - this Jam did and after only one rehearsal!
Phenomenal!
Not that it was a two man show. Tim on guitar rocked and rolled and adopted all the classic guitar hero poses (brilliantly), Snaith got some amazing Hammond sounds whilst Ice Cool Katie gave them the platform from which to lift off and Houston had no problems. For afters we had a number from Hannah, a horn section with solos all round and a guitarist, Angus - didn't catch his second name.
A night to remember…
Lance.
PS: You must click on to Andy Siddons website for some of the best jazz gig photos ever seen!

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