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

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. 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).

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

Monday, December 23, 2013

Gig/CD of the Year reminder.

As the year draws to a close and the gigs with them it seems that now is the time to reflect and make your choices of Gig of the Year or CD of the Year. I've made my choices known - let us know yours. I'm sure you've all listened to at least one CD and been to a gig or three so don't hang about.
Lance.

8 comments :

cptfinch said...

Trilok Gurtu, Paolo Fresu, Omar Sosa at the Sage was by far my favourite of the year Lance

Anonymous said...

The CD that I'm enjoying most isn't a new one but its new to me. Ed Bickert & Don Thompson 'At the Garden Party'. Its a gem and has some of the nicest lyrical/harmonic guitar playing I've ever heard. Amazing - he's like two guitar players at once. He has the ability to play nimbly yet drop off a chord (complete with inner voice movements) from any single note he happens to be on, yet sustaining the legato melody note on top. Jim Hall could do that too. Fantastic!
Been to a few very nice gigs and one I particularly enjoyed was Graeme Wilson's Quartet at L&P about 3 months back.
Roly

Kath Jobes said...

Hi Lance,

My gig of the year has to be the Lindsay Hannon Plus at the Sage Jazz Cafe... Just Superb, and my CD of the year has to be Zoe Gilby's Twelve Stories... again a really good compilation and a great addition to my collection. Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year xx

Hugh Cochrane said...

Slightly expanding the territory - gig of the year: The Impossible Gentlemen at Zeffirelli's, Ambleside.
CD of the year: Internationally Recognised Aliens, by the same band.
(Hugh, the territory has no bounds - Lance)

John Taylor said...

My CD of the year (which I have really enjoyed over the festive period) is Clare Teals "Jing-jing-a-ling"
So stylistic & featuring many "Great American Xmas" tracks:-
http://www.jazzandjazz.com/2013/11/clare-teal-releases-jing-jing-a-ling/
Gig of the year has to be Martin Taylor & Martin Simpson at the Portland Ashington as part of Ashington Town Councils Music festival. Many thanks to Mick Slaughter & Stephen Humphrey from the Town Council for all the work organising it all. Initially they asked me for ideas for a national artist who would be suitable for the jazz element of the festival. My three suggestions were a choice between Stacey Kent, Clare Teal or Martin Taylor. I think they ended up with an ideal gig which cleverly crossed the jazz and folk genres

Ken Drew said...

Gigs of the Year
1. Marilyn Crispell & Raymond Mcdonald
2. Arun Ghosh
3_ Paul Dunmall
3_ Laura Jurd

stevebfc said...

Gigs of the Years
1. Arun Ghosh (The Sage)
2. Ollie Howell Quintet (The Bridge)
3. Courtney Pine (Hoochie Coochie)

Albums of the year
1.John Escreet - Sabotage and Celebration
2 World Service Project - Fire in the Pet Shop
3. Foreign Motion -In Flight

Steve H

Tony Eales said...

Hi Lance

Been on my travels again this year, here's my choices.

Gigs of the year

1. Igor Butman - Moscow Jazz Orchestra at Wigan Jazz Festival.

2. Bobby Shew & The La Big Band at the LA jazz festival.

3. Tommy Smith & The SNJO play Kenton at the Queens Hall Edinburgh

CD's

1. Igor Butman - Sheherazade Tales

2. Tommy Smith & The SNJO - In The Spirit of The Duke

3. Zoe Gilby - Twelve Stories

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