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

18402 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 31 ), 76

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

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.

Sat 04: Jake Leg Jug Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Anthropology. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £10.00.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free Quintet + guest Neil Brodie (trumpet).
Sun 05: Mark Williams & Tom Remon @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Jazzmain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Monday, June 08, 2015

Durham University Big Band @ the Globe Jazz Bar, Newcastle.


(Review by Lance/photo by Dave Parker)
Woody Herman's Apple Honey got the show on the road - it was 7pm, The advertised 6pm turned out to be doors. Nobody seemed to know in advance what time the actual gig would kick off. The band didn't, the Jazz Coop members didn't and neither did the audience, the majority of whom had arrived circa 6pm! Nevertheless, Apple Honey is a guaranteed icebreaker and when DUBB hit the deck running all thoughts of lynching the Coop PR team vanished!
Being comprised of Durham Uni undergrads the personnel obviously turns over each year as players graduate or are sent down. Debra M summed it up by saying "Best catch them near the end of term".
On tonight's performance the end of term was clearly in sight as those days and nights of rehearsing their extra curricular activities (only a couple of them are actual music students) bore fruition.
After Apple Honey, the only other tried and tested warhorses were Buddy Rich's Love For Sale and Sammy Nestico's Hayburner. The rest were contemporary offerings by such as Kenny Wheeler, ex alumni Matt Sulzmann and JJ Wheeler, among others.
Main soloists were the two tenors, altoman Garel, guitarist Farley, pianist Jacobs and trumpet ace Clark who was outstanding as was Chris Jones as MD and 'bone soloist on Barcarolle although it was Naomi on baritone who, quite literally, had the last word - or rather - note! The undermiked Laura Paul fought an uphill battle to be heard over 16 men/women swinging but when her, often wordless, vocals did rise above it, it was awesome! A stratospheric range, intervals pitched perfectly and a voice that resonated with class.
Good to know the big band sound lives on today - Glenn Miller would be proud albeit somewhat bemused!
Lance,
Dan Garel, Felicity Evans (alt); Matt McKernan John Somerton (ten); Naomi Tansey (bar); Sam Clark; Noah Lawrence, Nick McLeish, Charles Price (tpts); Chris Jones, Nat Jackson, John Harper (tmbs); Matt Jacobs (keys);Ollie Farley (gtr); Luke Stuart-Smith (bs); Tristan Bacon (dms); Laura Paul (vcls).
at

1 comment :

Russell said...

Absolutely spot on about Laura Paul - perfectly pitched! The line-up, as listed, is 100% accurate. A cracking gig!

Monday, June 08, 2015 5:55:00 pm

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