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

18361 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 215 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 8 ), 25

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Fri 13: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00.
Fri 13: The SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Soothsayers + Rookie Numbers @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.

Sat 14: The Too Bad Jims @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. R&B.
Sat 14: NUJO @ Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. Time TBC. £15.00. supporter; £10.00. standard; £5.00. student. Seated event.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: The Too Bad Jims @ The Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £12.00. R&B.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Rebecca Poole @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Poole w. Dean Stockdale & Ken Marley. CANCELLED!

Mon 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Scotty Adair (drums).

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

Sunday, February 07, 2016

EP Review: Kathryn Lowdon and the Soul Engineers - Cake.

Kathryn Lowdon (vcl); Paul Gowland (saxes); James Harrison (pno); Katy Trigger (bs); Steve Doyle (dms); Jasmine Storey, Michael Littlefield (backing vocals).
(Review by Lance).
I close my eyes and I'm in Detroit or maybe Philly or East St. Louis. I open them and find, to my amazement, I'm still on Tyneside which is just as well as Kathryn Lowdon and the Soul Engineers will be launching their debut EP Cake at Hoochie Coochie on Feb. 21. Listen to Cake with your eyes closed and you too will be eating soul food in a downtown diner.
Lowdon has been on the local scene for a while making her presence felt at the various jams and this, her first recording, reveals her to be a singer prepared to take a musical walk on the wild side.
The five tracks and their description are:
Arrow: A catchy disco number of empowerment designed to make you reach for your dancing shoes.
Cake Song: A funky groove to party, sing along to and have fun! 
Now You're Gone: A different side to Kathryn and one she will explore more of in the future. Not many people know, that Kathryn has a passion for writing and performing ballads. This is a vulnerable performance capturing the end of a relationship and regret. 
I Can Make You Feel Good; This track was inspired by a musical collaboration with Phd student, Allan Symons who was studying the poetry of blues.
Love: A song written by Kathryn Lowdon and James Harrison about a love affair of a different kind. This is an intimate creation of only piano and vocals to chronicle the ups and downs of a life in music.
Won't argue with that!
Special mention for Harrison's sympathetic support, the occasional blast from Gowland and the grooves from Katy Trigger and Stevie Doyle.
See you at Hoochie on Feb. 21.
Lance.

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