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

18402 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 31 ), 76

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

April

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.

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). Free. Chicago blues.

Sat 04: Jake Leg Jug Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Anthropology. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £10.00.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free Quintet + guest Neil Brodie (trumpet).
Sun 05: Mark Williams & Tom Remon @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Jazzmain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Zoë Gilby & Johnny Hunter @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Saturday, November 02, 2013

Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party @ The Village Hotel nr. Shiremoor, Day one: Afternoon. November 1..

(Photo - Daryl Sherman (right) and north-east jazz enthusiast Margaret Barnes)
Such was the diversity of jazz in the pre bebop era that this year's Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party was able to present  almost 40 concerts over the three days each with a different theme.
Day One had afternoon sessions exploring the music of Jimmy Noone; Early Ellington; King Oliver in New York; Rarely played Bix and the first session I was able to attend. 
Mildred Bailey/Swing.
Daryl Sherman (vcl/pno); Emma Fisk (vln); Duke Heitger (tpt); Alistair Allan (tmb/vcl); Jean-Francois Bonnel (reeds); Keith Nichols (pno/vcl); Spats Langham (gtr/bjo/vcl); Henry Lemaire (bs); Richard Pite (dms).
A tribute to "The Rockin' Chair Lady" interspersed with swing instrumentals, it was appropriate that, after a robust Shanghai Shuffle from the band, Daryl should sing Rockin' Chair.After a few words about Mildred Bailey the always smiling Ms Sherman moved on to Someday Sweetheart sung in her inimitable and appealing voice. The band all soloed effectively and none more so than Emma Fisk who had a fiery solo that drew nods of approval from the singer and vociferous applause from the audience.
Spat's crooned Sunday and trombonist Allan  impressed with his Teagarden-like solo and vocal on I Cover the Waterfront. Daryl gave us Billy Reid's I'll Close my Eyes plus more info on Mildred Bailey and her husband Red Norvo including their legendary arguments when "in their cups".
Go Harlem with Nichols to the fore and Heitger, Bonnel, Allan and Fisk saying plenty along with some  Chick Webb inspired drumming from Pite. More piano on I've Got my Love to Keep me Warm but this time with a difference. After Daryl's vocal she joined the pianist for a four-hander then took over for a chorus or two on her own before returning to the microphone.
The set finished with Nichols and Spats duetting vocally on Happy Feet and it was with very happy feet that we retired to the bar or, in my case, the CD stall where I performed my stewarding duties.
A good start to the Classic Jazz Party - the late Mike Durham whose spirit surely hovered over us would surely have been proud of the way his baby remains alive and healthy.
Lance.

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