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

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. 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).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: The ’58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club, West Park, 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 18: Brand New Heavies @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Roly Goes "Underground."

Excuse me for a bit of self promotion but this festival may in any case be of interest and maybe you could pass on the info to any friends or relatives who you think may be interested. 
The Mining Institute is in Neville Street, Newcastle just next to The Lit & Phil. It has a history to be proud of. Many of the finest engineers in mining history graced its walls and many of the great innovations in mining happened here on Tyneside. For example Geordie Stephenson's safety lamp, better pit ventilation (John Buddle - Wallsend), the pit cage (TE Hall - Greenside).  
The Institute is still going strong. They currently are involved in a research project 'Mining the Institute' which is exploring the world wide influence of our local mining engineers who worked to influence mining development world wide. As part of this, Judith Murphy is helping organise a festival of literature, poetry, song and music all related to our mining history.
Next Saturday 21st June - Festival of Mining Literature & Poetry.
Saturday 28th June - Festival of Song & Music.
Judith has invited The Blaydon Aces, myself and James Birkett, to be part of the events on 28th - we are playing 2.30 to 3.15 in the afternoon. A selection of light hearted local dialect songs with a mining connection - I've got a little whippet, Wi me pit claes on, Pitman's Lament, Row between the cages and so on.
For the full festival program here's the link.
https://www.mininginstitute.org.uk/
 -----
Back to jazz - our next concert at Blaydon is on Sunday 6th July -  an extra date fixed up because Colin Aitchison is over here from Hong Kong. Colin is a fine Armstrong inspired trumpeter. He is bringing his pal, Italian clarinettist Franco Valussi - he's also based in Hong Kong now. Its with Swing City Trio fronted by the one and only Steve Andrews (sax/clnt) plus Roy Cansdale bass and myself acoustic guitar.
After that, on Sunday 20th July, a great young jazz singer Zoe Gilby with her quartet.
Roly.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Very interesting Roly. I'd always associated the miner's lamp with Humphrey Davy and didn't realise that Stephenson and others were working the same seam so to speak. I think the Festival will appeal to anyone interested in local history.

Roly said...

Hi Lance - thanks for putting this on BSH. Yes Davy invented a safety lamp too. From what I've read both men were working on their version of a safety lamp at about the same time.

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