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.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

CD Review: Man Overboard Quintet - Down in the Deep Deep Blue

Thomas Gould (vln/backing vcls); Ewan Bleach (clt/vcl); Louisa Jones (vcls); Jean-Marie Fagan (gtr/vcls); Dave O'Brien (bs/backing vcls).
(Review by Lance).
One of the more enigmatic hot club/manouche/swing bands, the Man Overboard Quintet are also one of the more original in their choice of material. Sure it's from the GASbook but you won't find the Broadway A listers here - Porter, Kern, Berlin, Gershwin, Rodgers - instead you have some of the second line such as Harry M. Woods (What a Little Moonlight Can Do); Donaldson/Kahn (I Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight); Frank Loesser (I Wish That I Were Twins) to mention but some. Then we have ragtime (New Orleans Wiggle); Duke's Jubilee Stomp. Moving on, Horace Silver's Sister Sadie shows up and is most welcome.
MOQ score inasmuch as they retain clarinet and violin up front at the expense of a surplus of rhythm guitars which makes for a lighter swing. Another plus point are the vocals by Louisa Jones. Quite a unique sound, imagine if Billie Holiday had been a Frenchwoman singing in English - captivating!
Guitarist Fagan is French and he arrived in London via Sunderland - hang on a minute, I reviewed this back in February!
Not quite sure why it's turned up again - ah yes, I remember the promo copy didn't have any notes or artwork. Well this is the McCoy and it sounds even better hearing it again.
Lance.

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