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, November 30, 2015

Jazz Co-op @ The Globe: The Budtones – Nov. 28

Stu Finden (tenor sax); Fiona Finden (soprano sax, vocals); Lin Lee Wong (piano); Jim Crinson (bass); Eric Stutt (drums)
(Review by Ann Alex).
The set began with a boppy quirky tune - The Message, saxes in joyful harmony, solos all round, fours, culminating with a very long sax note from Fiona, who then said something about circular breathing.  I guess Fi, as a physiotherapist, must know something about breath control, and this note certainly showed that she can breathe!
The set continued well, as we can expect from this band, even with different personnel on piano and bass.  Jim did his stuff on dependable bass and Lin Lee was an adventurous keys woman – in fact after the final number she treated us to some Elton John piano.  Other tunes included Miles Davis’s All Blues, beautifully sung by Fi, with a very atmospheric feel of ‘sea and sky and you and I’; Just Friends, with a final chorus to a rumba rhythm, especially well played by Eric. Hank Mobley’s This I Dig of You, was lively with a bell-like effect from the drums; and then came Fi singing a sensitive version of I Fall in Love Too Easily. There was audience participation on The A Train when Minnie Frazer and myself were invited to do a bit of scatting, and the gig was rounded off with an original, sung by Fiona, Stu’s Blues.
The only complaint I have is that the band deserved a larger audience.  Jazz fans are missing some great music!
Ann Alex

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