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, June 22, 2013

Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band @ Jazz at the Fell. June 21

Dave Rae (banjo & vocals), Liz Bacon (clarinet), Jim Blenkin (trombone & vocals), John Robinson (double bass) & Paul Bacon (drums)
(Review by Russell)
Gateshead British Legion, the current home to Jazz at the Fell, sweltered on this mid summer night. The Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band, staunch supporters of the jazz club over many years, fulfilled this most recent engagement as a quintet due to Mac Rae being indisposed. Dave Rae remarked that many years ago he worked with the Mighty Joe Young band but a stone’s throw along the road at the Honeysuckle pub (long-since closed and due to open as an open-all-hours ‘express’ supermarket). He further remarked that Alan Price turned up to hear the band. On hearing this a wag at the Legion asked: Aye, but did he stay?
Price, Burdon and co were nowhere to be seen at the Legion, those present were hard core regulars. The Rae Brothers played it strict New Orleans and Brahms’ Cradle Song set the tempo. Dave Rae took the vocal on Dinah and again on WC Handy’s Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor. Legendary names - George Lewis, Sammy Morgan - peppered Rae’s informative and entertaining introductions, not least a thumb-nail sketch of prolific Tin Pan Alley composer Harry MacGregor Woods. The tunesmith’s I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover (1927) illustrated tight ensemble work, the fine front line playing of Liz Bacon, clarinet and  Jim Blenkin, trombone and Paul Bacon’s master class of New Orleans’ style drumming.
From New Orleans to Ascot. What? Yes, Ascot. A late comer marched in wearing a top hat. Well, one does, doesn’t one? A spiritual dating from 1892 put us on Higher Ground and we strode to the interval bar with Marie. Another Guinness, a strip of raffle tickets and the Brolly Dollies were readying themselves to strut their stuff.
We Shall Walk Through the Streets of the City (Rae vocals) vied for the tune of the night (standing comparison with Rendezvous Jazz’ reading of the number earlier in the day). Liz Bacon’s clarinet shone on St Louis Blues and Dave Rae’s vocals on Punch Miller’s Long Distance Blues were worth travelling a distance to hear. An evening of first class New Orleans’ jazz. Next Friday (June 28) get along to the Legion to hear the Vieux Carré Jazzmen.        
Russell.              

No comments :

Blog Archive