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

18383 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 247 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 17 ), 57

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

Mon 30: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 30: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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.

Monday, April 13, 2015

GIJF Day Three: A couple of Duos on The Concourse

Dean Stockdale (pno); Neil Harland (bs).
(Review by Lance/photos courtesy of Ken Drew).
I'd just had my mind blown by "The Cookers" and this was the ideal balm to bring me, if not down to Earth, at least within safe landing distance. I only caught the last three tunes that Dean and Neil laid down but it was enough to reveal what a class act these two are - Triste, Funky Mama and Oh Lady be Good. Catch Dean & Neil, along with James Birkett & Paul Smith at the Black Bull, Blaydon next Sunday evening April 19, 8.pm).

Belinda Voshtina (vcl); Ian Simpson (gtr).
Another lady who was good (very) was Belinda Voshtina. A faultless performance that showed just how much she's advanced in the months (maybe longer) since I last heard her. That she made such an impression on the acoustically challenging vastness of the Concourse and accompanied only by Ian Simpson (another whose star is rising rapidly) says much for her standing in the seemingly overcrowded world of girl vocalists.
With Simpson's ever sympathetic guitar gently weeping, Belinda gave us a magical half hour that began with George Delaras' Una Moneda Le Di sung in Spanish - not many nightingales open with that one, at least not in Gateshead - and continued with Oh What a Beautiful Morning â la Ray Charles, Lush Life, New Day, Yellow Moon and Bound For Glory.
Nice one.
Lance.

No comments :

Blog Archive