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, November 22, 2015

Mesmeric Metamorphic Rolls with Røyst @ Newcastle Jazz Cafe - November 20

Metamorphic Laura Cole (Piano); Kerry Andrew (Voice); Chris Williams (Alto Sax); John Martin (Soprano/Tenor Sax); Oliver Dover (Bass Clarinet); Paul Sandy, Seth Bennet (Double Basses) Tom Greenhalgh (Drums).
Røyst Trio  Kari Bleivik, Ceceilie Giskamo , Maria Jardardotti (voices)
(Review by Steve H/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley).
The collaboration of Laura Cole’s Metamorphic and Norwegian a capella trio Røyst really rocked Newcastle’s go to place for jazz on a Friday night. This night began with short sets from each band: a very folksy a capella offering from the Nordic trio, and a gutsy couple from the octet - the highlight being a wonderful improvised non-lexical vocal from Kerry Andrew.  
The bands then joined forces for a marvellously extended piece which is hard to categorise as there was so much going on folk, contemporary classical, jazz etc. etc. Whatever it was, it was bloody fantastic and at half time the crowd was left on a high. The second half carried on from where the first left off although this time with shorter pieces written by various members of the cooperative. The combinations of 4 voices, 3 horns, 2 double basses*, drums and a piano creating a fascinating, stimulating and most enjoyable offering. If only Newcastle United’s 11 could produce such magic I wouldn’t have had to suffer such a miserable Saturday afternoon after such a wonderful Friday night. 
Steve H  
* Just like London double decker buses you wait ages for a band featuring 2 double basses to come along and then two come along almost at once  (see Friday’s review Peter Ehwald Double Trouble  here .)  

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