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.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

CD Review: Josh Maxey - Celebration of Soul

Josh Maxey (gtr); Brian Charette (org); Chase Baird (sax); Jeremy Noller (dms) + Rodney Jones (gtr); David Parnell (acc. gtr); Michael Cioffero (gtr); Brett Parnell (lap steel) on Sunrise/Sunset tracks.
(Review by Lance).
The saying is that you don't judge a book by its cover. I'll add that nor should you judge a CD by the first track.
Brooklyn Sunrise does little for me. A moody, ethereal exploration into a land possibly inhabited by the spirit of Sun Ra. Fortunately, this track is of short duration and, come track 2 - the title track - we're back down to Earth and groovin' in Soulville, although the Sun that rose in Brooklyn does finally set in Colorado on track 7 and I didn't shed a tear! The + 4  musicians play on the Sunrise/set tracks.
Apart from the Solar (Souler?) pieces, these are swinging, groovers born out of the Blue Note womb and maybe weaned on Chess and Stax.
Charette knows all about soul, given his B3 blasts here. And so he should seeing as how his cv includes stints with Lou Donaldson and Bucky Pizzarelli! Baird too has paid his dues - Hancock; Lovano; Brecker, R; Moran and Aaron Parks. Cutting soprano and gutsy tenor prevail.
This is leader, kick-ass guitarist, Maxey's 10th release and, like the previous nine, features his original compositions. Three of them are reprised as Radio Mix, I'm not sure what that means but they still sound good.
Soul fans start celebratin'
Lance.
Available on Mile High Records MHR624.

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