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, June 01, 2014

Peter Gilligan & Friends @ Hoochie Coochie

Peter Gilligan (piano); Graham Hardy (trumpet/flugel); Paul Gowland (tenor); Paul Grainger (bass); Dave McKeague (drums).
Pete Gilligan has a great love of the music of Horace Silver and this afternoon's quintet session at Hoochie left no one in doubt of his, and his fellow travellers, ability to put their own stamp on the great man's work. The proof, of course, was already there after the band's previous outing at The Bridge where they blew up a storm for only six quid!
Here they were today at Hoochie and it was free!
I got there early - the crowds were even less than they were for Kings of Leon (Saturday St. James Park), One Direction (Stadium of Light) or the Gilligan band at the Bridge's six quidder!
Strikes me that the more you charge the more punters you get!
However, I digress. The music was superb and enough people eventually meandered in to enjoy this killer session.
Filthy McNasty; Summer in Central Park; Natives Are Restless; Silver's Serenade and Quicksilver. A solid first set. Graham Hardy and Paul Gowland were the frontliners today and if ever Mr Silver needs a couple of UK boys these are his men. He'd have to fight Gilligan for them though as Pete was flying high and with Grainger on bass and the amazingly young looking McKeague on drums this was a quintet to take on the world!
Horacescope - another quirky Silver title - was absolutely the top. One of those tunes that grabs you  both harmonically and melodically. Reminded me a little of A Foggy Day. Opus de Funk; Strollin'; Nutville and, finally, Nica's Dream.
Lance.

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