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

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.

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.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Vasilis Xenopoulos - The Wind Machine @ Bridge Hotel Newcastle. April 24


Vasilis Xenopoulos (ten); Martin Shaw  (tpt/flg); Paul Edis (pno); Andy Champion (bs); Matt Home (dms). (Review by Lance/Photos  courtesy of Ken Drew).
It may not have been the line-up in the Jazz North East brochure but, after hearing the opening bars of Four Brothers, I said, "This will do for me!"
A blind person could be excused for thinking he was hearing the Woody Herman saxes whilst sighted persons were marvelling at how 5 could sound like 16! Honestly, if they'd packed up and gone home after that storming opener I would have still felt I'd got my money's worth! 12 hours later the tune is still running through my head!
Such is Vasy's technique both harmonically and melodically he'd have slotted perfectly into any Herman sax section. Martin Shaw, equally classy, - big sound, modern phrasing. Matt Home, no slacking when he's driving the bus. Great as the visitors were, without the home town heroes Edis and Champion the end result would have been so much lesser.
As it was, everyone kicked in. Splanky  and Kenny Dorham's Short Story kept the temperature high before relaxing with  Shaw's version of Loverman and Vasy's Polka Dots and Moonbeams - soft and sensuous.
Groove Merchant from the Jones-Lewis pad was the typical go out on a high, end of first set, number with the chase choruses by the two horns real edge of your seat stuff.
A quick pint then back into the arena for Tadd Dameron's Our Delight - was ever a tune more appropriately named? - Prelude to a Kiss, The Fan Club (Mel Lewis), Corner Pocket and the title track of the latest CD The Wind Machine (CD review to follow soon).
If Gregory Porter was the Vocal Gig of the Year (so far) this is the Small Band GOTY and, despite numerical contradictions, also in the running for the Big Band gong!
Fot those readers who are kicking themselves for missing the gig, the good news is that the Wind Machine can be heard at St. Cuthbert's Centre, Crook, DL15 9DN tonight (April 25, 7pm.)
Jim would have loved it...
Lance.
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