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.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

CD Review: Leslie Pintchik - In the Nature of Things.

Leslie Pintchik (pno); Steve Wilson (alt/sop); Ron Horton (tpt/flug); Scott Hardy (bs); Michael Sarin (dms); Satoshi Takeishi (perc).
(Review by Lance).
So many review CDs come through the letterbox that I've had to replace the mat in the hall and the postman is complaining of a bad back so I hope those who have sent CDs for review will understand if they don't get reviewed immediately or even ever!
This disc is such a one that most undeservedly got shuffled back down the deck. Not any longer! It's a cracker!
Leslie Pintchik came to jazz after first teaching English Literature and receiving a Master of Philosophy degree in seventeenth century English Literature! The lady can read words as well as music!
Whilst I'm impressed by all this learnin' stuff, I'm even more knocked out by her pianistic, composing and arranging skills.
The compositions are magic, you feel you know these tunes even though you've never heard them before and plagiarism doesn't even enter into it - these are hers and no-one else's! Leslie's interpretation of the one non original,  I've Grown Accustomed to her Face, is on a par with the classic Andre Previn version.
There are so many names bandied around these days - both here and "across the pond" - that genuine, straight down the middle players, usually immensely more talented than the jazzarati, get overlooked.
I'd like to think that Pintchik wasn't such a victim. The jazz of tomorrow can only be as good as the jazz of today if the jazz of today is as good as the jazz of yesterday. This disc bears comparision with the jazz of any day...
It's a disc to listen to and enjoy, not only the lady's piano and her compositions,
but also the fine solos by Wilson and Horton.
If we operated a 5 star system this would be ****.
Lance. 

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