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.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

CD Review: Rebecca Harrold - The River of Life

Rebecca Harrold:(pno); Will Ackerman(gtr); Tony Levin (bs); Richard Gates:(bs); Jeff Haynes:(perc); Tom Eaton: (perc); Jill Haley: (English horn); Premik Tubbs (lyricon, sop); Charlie Bisharat: (violin); Eugene Friesen: (cello); Penni Lane: (vocals).
A very listenable disc of original compositions by leader Harrold. Is it jazz? If so, which pigeon-hole does it occupy? In truth, delightful as it is, I don’t think it will be rubbing shoulders on my shelves  between Herbie Hancock and Gene Harris. More likely I’ll file it under bland.. It is just too repetitive. Perhaps it is smooth or easy listening or even – almost - contemporary classical chamber music. But jazz?
Nah!
Still worth a listen if your definition of jazz is looser than mine and certainly worthy of the better class of lift – except on those tracks where the strings and the horns are sent out for the coffees then it becomes more meaningful and less predictable.
A curate’s egg.
Rebecca Harrold: The River of Life is available on the Imaginary Road Studios label.
Lance.

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