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

Friday, January 30, 2015

Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Millstone. January 29

(Review by Russell)
The Strictly Smokin’ session at the Millstone is fast becoming the ‘must get to’ gig on the local scene, second only to the band’s all too infrequent appearances at Hoochie Coochie. Word of mouth has ensured all seats are taken in advance of the seven o’clock start in the upstairs room of the Haddricks Mill Road hostelry. Arrive early to bag a seat.
One or two deps (to be expected in a band of this size) spiced it up a bit and MD Michael Lamb went to and fro – trumpet section to rostrum – keeping an eye/ear on developments.  For openers – Song for My Father and the sing-a-long Sweet Georgia Brown.
Vocalist James Hedley couldn’t hang around so he got his quota in early; Beyond the Sea and Fly Me to the Moon (Keith Robinson flute intro). Trumpeter Pete Tanton took several cracking solos, the first of them on an excellent arrangement of After You’ve Gone. Dizzy popped up with Night in Tunisia and Hedley signed-off with Almost Like Being in Love.
Interval: a chat with Kath J, John T, Tony, Lucy, Mary, Peter, Phil, Barry A, the barmaid (another pint of Rivet Catcher, please).
Second set: Veronica Lake arrived. In Guy Swinton’s absence ex-pat American trumpeter Pete Tanton announced the programme. The band played In the Mood. Tanton explained that the arrangement was the one used by Doc Severinsen on Tonight (Johnny Carson). A plethora of soloists stood up throughout the evening, not a weak link in sight (a sure sign of a first rate band). Ms Lake (the wonderful Lindsay Hannon) took to the microphone. A tune or two (Makin’ Whoopee and I’ve Got You Under My Skin) and LH was done, such is the nature of a public rehearsal session. One tune caught the ear – El Caborojeno. This Bob Mintzer tune has to be heard again (thanks to PT for the correct spelling of El C…!). February’s session (26th), always the last Thursday in the month, is certain to be every bit as good. Seven o’clock sharp.
Russell.                           
Michael Lamb, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey & Pete Tanton (trumpets), Mark Ferris, Dr John Flood, Caroline Norris, Kieran Parnaby (trombones), Paul Gowland (tenor saxophone), Jamie Toms (tenor saxophone), Keith Robinson (alto saxophone, flute), Steve Summers (alto saxophone), Chris Karberry (baritone saxophone), Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar), Graham Don (keyboards), Michael Whent (electric bass), Steve Wall (drums), James Hedley (vocals) & Lindsay Hannon (vocals)
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