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

18395 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 259 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 30 ), 69

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

From This Moment On

March

Tue 31: Bede Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Albert Hills Wright (alto sax); Finn Carter (piano); Michael Dunlop (double bass).

April

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Musicians playing classical & orchestral music.
Thu 02: The Noel Dennis Band @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £10.84. Quartet plus special guest Zoë Gilby. Over 21s only.
Thu 02: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 02: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00. adv..
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). Free. Chicago blues.

Sunday, February 08, 2015

Jazz Co-op @ The Globe: The Safe Sextet - Feb. 7

Don Forbes (trumpet); Pete Gilligan (keys); Steve Summers (alto/sop sax); John Rowland (tenor sax); Ray Truscott (bass); Mark Robertson (drums)
(Review by Ann Alex)
I must confess that I didn’t intend to review this as I wanted to skive from BSH and simply relax and enjoy the gig, and I’m also half way through reviewing a CD at home.  But I enjoyed the gig so much that I’m reviewing it anyway after a fashion, without any notes or list of tunes played.  The Globe deserves the review as well.  The audience numbers are increasing week by week; most seats were taken last night.
I can’t say too much about these musicians as everyone who’s heard them knows how wonderful they are to listen to, and they were all on great form.  Don introduced each number without the mike which gave a homely feel to the proceedings, and he amiably let the rest of the band have most of the solos, not at all one to pull rank. The solos were full of interest – thanks to the afternoon Co-op workshop at Sage Gateahead, which was all about improvisation, I had a fair idea of what to listen for, it’s all about chords, suspended, augmented, notes borrowed from other scales, and goodness knows what else.  I don’t pretend to understand it but the music sounds great.  Tunes included No Good Boyo from Stan Tracy’s Under Milk Wood Suite; the tune with Nantucket in the title; a very danceable calypso tune; some Coltrane and I seem to remember some Mike Carr, from the EMCEE 5 recordings. 
An added bonus was that Mark Robertson’s book was for sale at the cheaper price of £7.00.  It’s called Off Key, a story concerning a relationship and the jazz world, but humorous as well.  I started to read my copy on the metro home and I can vouch for the humour as I laughed on the very first page.
This has been a short review of a well-spent evening.
Ann Alex

1 comment :

Mark Robertson said...

Glad you enjoyed the gig and are enjoying the book Ann. Let me know when you've finished it. I have a post to send you about some strange coincidences involving Off Key but it contains some spoilers so it's best left till you've completed it.

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