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

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ The Tyne Bar Newcastle August 16

Michael Lamb (MD), Pete Tanton, Tom Hill, Dick Stacey (tpts); Mark Ferris, Steve Grey, Mark Fletcher, John Flood (tmb); Steve Summers, Sue Ferris (alt); Jamie Toms, Paul Gowland (ten); Niall Armstrong (bar); Charles Harrison (pno); Pawel Jedrejewski (gtr); Michael Whent (bs); Guy Swinton (dms); James Hedley/Lindsay Hannon (vcls).
(Review by Lance).
Who in their right mind would arrange an open air gig in August! August in Newcastle? Not exactly Autumn in New York - more like Summer in Siberia. The wind howled, the audience shivered and the band blew - did they not!
22 tried and tested numbers that somehow sound different every time you hear them. Vocals by James and Lindsay and some fantastic solos made this an afternoon to remember.
To list all the highlights would take 22 pages so, in no particular order, I liked the dramatic band intro to James' relaxed vocal on It Had to be You, Lindsay's bluesy Spoonful, Sue's alto solos - more used to hearing her on tenor or baritone - Steve and Paul battling it out on Oye Como Va likewise on In The Mood just some of the delicacies served up. Jamie popped up here and there, Pete and Michael took care of the trumpet solos whilst the trombone blending that brought in James "Bobby Darin" Hedley's version of Beyond the Sea impressed a trombone player standing next to me.
The rhythm section were sound with Drummer Swinton adeptly coping with the announcements whilst juggling the music into some kind of windswept order and soloing on Skindeep. Maybe a hundred more things I could write about but the fact that the audience stayed - some danced, some drank, some did both and all applauded - summed it up.
"High voltage gig" remarked a lady of my acquaintance and I'm sure Michael Caine (top right of the photo) would  have agreed.
The Quaylink journey back to town with Brenda, Joan and Julie rounded off a Super Saturday.
Catch them again (the band that is and maybe the ladies!) at the Millstone (South Gosforth) August 28, Hoochie Coochie Sept. 21 and the Black Swan Arts Centre Dec. 20.
Lance.
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1 comment :

Patti (on F/b) said...

We braved the elements in typical Geordie ways - and didn't we enjoy ourselves! An ace gig ....

Sunday, August 17, 2014 4:56:00 pm

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