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, August 16, 2013

Flap! @ Hoochie Coochie August 15.

Jess Guille (vcl/uke); Eamon McNelis (tpt/vcl); ? (tmb); Mark Elton (bs); Ben Hendry (dms).
(Review by Lance).
A romping, stomping, multi genre Europe touring Australian quintet that had the Hoochie's dancing from the opening number. I even managed to shake an arthritic knee myself at one late stage!
If the '60s trad boom had came along 50 years later this is how it might have sounded. Trumpet had a rich round sound that was, at times, Harry James and at other times boppy like Lee Morgan. Trombone blew it rough and raucous - this was 21st century gut bucket. Bass was at times smooth, at other times slapstick. Drums gave them the drive and the lovely Jess played uke banjo and sang like a dream. She was compared individually by three of us with Caro Emerald, Lily Allen and Debra Milne - how versatile can you get? The trumpet man also sang and, thankfully, he didn't do a Satchmo impression as so many trumpet/vocalists do.
My apologies for the delay in listing personnel as the announcements were in Austrailian and their website doesn't reveal them either. Ray Robson supplied the names albeit not the trombonist - thank you Ray. Still, what's in a name? Suffice to say they put on a show. Early King Oliver? More late King Pleasure and that's what these guys and gal gave out - pleasure. If the Aussie cricketers could... nah, we won't go down that route 
Excellent.
Lance.

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