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.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Steve Glendinning Quartet @ The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. January 19.

Steve Glendinning (gtr); Chris Jelly (vbs); Mike Clarke (bs gtr); Mark Robertson (dms).
(Review by Lance)
Over the years I've heard most of the masters of the vibraphone - Red Norvo, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Terry Gibbs, Victor Feldman, Tubby Hayes, Bill le Sage, Gary Burton, Bobby Hutcherson, Jim Hart, Corey Mwamba (in Newcastle next week for the JNE Fundraiser) and now Chris Jelly can be added to that list.
It wasn't a complete surprise to me as I'd heard him previously with King Bee so I knew he was good but tonight...!!
Not that this was a one man show, leader Glendinning matched him every step of the way with some beguiling guitar magic.
The material was a mix of originals by the frontline as well as pieces by Metheny and Gary Burton. Both sets opened up with an unaccompanied feature (Glendinning set 1 - Jelly set 2). Delicate, almost classical in concept, the mood was created for the entry of the others who duly enhanced the ambience. Burton and Metheny were were apt choices to draw from as the brand of jazz/rock/fusion the quartet played was reminiscent of the Burton quartet when Metheny served time with the group.
On drums, Mark Robertson drove and sympathised as the piece demanded whilst Clarke on Rickenbacker bass proved himself a worthy owner of such a legendary brand of lower ground floor merchandise.
A night much appreciated by the Splinter faithful although there were two or three regulars prominent by their absence. If they only knew what they'd missed...
Lance.

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