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

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. 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).

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

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

2GB Flash Drive review: Peter Sparacino - The Straphanger's Playlist

Peter Sparacino (saxes); Jay Jennings (tpt/flug); Aki Ishiguro (gtr); Isamu McGregor (keys); Panagiotis Andreou (bs); Mauricio Zotarelli (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Let me first explain the technology and the reasoning behind this new format - better still, maybe someone can explain it to me!
By and large, this is the latest innovation that began with the cylinder and moved through shellac, vinyl, cassette, CD, mini disc and MP3 to this - the Flash Drive!
The idea, as I grasp it is, you stick the drive into a USB port, save it, then use the Flash Drive for other purposes like storing images of your grannies funeral or your best mates wedding - whatever.
The claim is that the reproduction is far superior to that of CD and I must confess that even on my lo-fi PC speakers it sounds good. Whether it will be commercially viable we shall have to wait and see. 
However, of more concern to me is the music which would sound good even if it was on old scratchy 78s.
Think Loose Tubes, Beats and Pieces, Snarky Puppy - there is that sort of looseness about it - indeed Jay Jennings includes Snarky Puppy on his CV.
It's a sextet - don't be fooled into thinking it's a much larger ensemble Sparacino cheats (sorry overdubs) all 5 sax parts. There's also string passages that come from who knows where but are, nevertheless most effective.
As a sax player - he plays sop/alt/ten/bari - Sparacino is a contender. Likewise Jennings who brings that Snarky feel into his solos. Ishiguro plucks and pedals as the piece demands being either cool and laid back or hitting the rock face full on. Isamu McGregor, Panagiotis Andreou and Mauricio Zotarelli are contemporary solid which means they are not solid but perfect for the grooves that emerge.
The music will live - not sure about the format!
Lance

No comments :

Blog Archive