Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 2025

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

18083 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1047 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Dec. 14), 61.

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

Fri 26: ???

Sat 27: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 27: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ 3 Stories, High St. West, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Jason Holcomb & co.

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00., £7.00. adv.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 31: Lil Miss Mary & the Mr Rights Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. ‘Early NYE Bash’. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues.
Wed 31: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. ‘Midnight in Manhattan’ NYE party. £49.46 (inc. bf) & £29.38 (inc. bf).

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

Monday, July 14, 2014

CD Review: Pulcinella – Bestiole

Ferdinand Doumerc (saxophones, flute & metallophone), Florian Demonsant (accordion, kaval), Jean-Marc Serpin (double bass & metallophone) & Frédéric Cavallin (drums, metallophone & glockenspiel) + Patrick Vaillant (mandolin) & Daniel Casimir (trombone).
(Review by Russell).
Pulcinella are based in Toulouse, France. On the road the band comprises four musicians, on Bestiole there is the addition of two musicians (Patrck Vaillant – mandolin and Daniel Casimir – trombone). The CD, Pulcinella’s third, is an eleven track journey across such a diverse musical landscape it is difficult to categorise.
The core quartet’s playing credits encompass blues, flamenco, funk, gypsy jazz, hip-hop, jazz funk, rhythm and blues, salsa and tango. The use of metallophone (glockenspiel, vibes) is shared between bandleader Ferdinand Doumerc, bassist  Jean-Marc Serpin and drummer Frédéric Cavallin. Florian Desmonsant plays accordion (the rather obvious Gallic component) and kaval (flute). Serpin’s double bass is straight out of the jazz idiom and Cavallin’s drumming is highly accomplished (track four Sur le pave la lune is a particularly good example of it). Tu parles trop (track eight) is brief, taut, not unlike John Zorn.
La Tarentelle invites fevered Balkan dancing. Forceful rhythms buoy Doumerc’s manic tenor as Demonsant’s accordion jibbers and jabbers, the insatiable party animal. Bestiole concludes with an atypical piece. Envoûtement is a reflective composition. The slow, if not funereal, tempo, skips around a glockenspiel-mandolin nursery rhyme punctuated by Casimir’s sonorous trombone.
Pulcinella are on tour. Their first British date is on July 15 at the Jazz Café, Newcastle. They share a double bill with Troyka. The Match & Fuse circus pitches up in Cardiff (16) and Coventry (17) before the Gallic Four meet up with Brass Mask in London on July 18. Bestiole awaits a release date. Get along to one (or more!) of the gigs and ask the band about its availability. 
Visit: www.pulcinellamusic.com. http://www.matchandfuse.co.uk/
Russell.
PS: Available via digital download.
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