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

Thursday, November 06, 2014

The Shoeshop Quartet @ King’s Hall Newcastle Uni. November 6

Meghann Clancy (soprano), Hannah Taylor (alto), Laurie Shepherd (tenor) & Ruth Lambert (bass)
(Review by Russell).
The Andrews Sisters, the Puppinis and now the Shoeshop Girls. The close harmony barber shop quartet is experiencing something of a renaissance and the Shoeshop Quartet can only prosper with performances like this one at the King’s Hall. An audience ranging from a group of six year olds to eighty six year olds loved every minute of this lunchtime concert. The ‘girls’ dressed to the nines (forties style) in hats, lashes, dresses and heels.
Mr Sandman, Dream a Little Dream of Me, Cheek to Cheek – great material, four individual voices (Ruth Lambert, bass and Laurie Shepherd, tenor, the touchstones, Hannah Taylor and Meghann Clancy, respectively alto and soprano, invariably sharing the sweetheart limelight)  – the Shoeshoppers know how to put on a show. Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (so they say), One Fine Day (Goffin & King), the Shoeshoppers’ pad varied in style and era. Lennon and McCartney’s When I’m 64 (the Fab Two did many fab things, harmonies top of the list), Berry Gordy and co.’s I Want You Back ( a dance routine is called for!) and the take-it-down number Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue illustrated the breadth of material performed with consummate skill by the Shoeshopping Sweethearts.
Stefani Germanotta (aka Lady Gaga) found herself on the set list – Bad Romance a favourite with the student element in the hall, as did Eliza Doolittle’s Pack Up (kit bag ‘n’ all). It can’t be too often that popular songs of the thirties dovetail seamlessly with the pop hits of today – King’s Hall or anywhere else for that matter. Checkout www.shoeshopquartet.com
Russell.

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