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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 2025).

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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Swing Manouche featuring Daniel John Martin @ the Jazz Café











Daniel John Martin (vln/vcl); Mick Shoulder (gtr); Giles Strong (gtr); Paul Edis (clt); Paul Susans (bs). (Review by Lance/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley).
The room was crowded and justifiably so although one or two kept their coats and mufflers on! These days I think that Gipsy Jazz has taken over the role once occupied by Trad Jazz in the eye of the public inasmuch as it's foot tapping and not too demanding on the ear. Mick Shoulder's Swing Manouche. which developed from his equally appealing Djangologie, took on a new dimension last night with the addition of French violinist and occasional vocalist (and whistler) Daniel John Martin.
Martin is quite unique. Unlike most hot club fiddlers he doesn't follow the Grappelli route instead he's very much his own homme. If there are any outside influences, and I say if advisedly, then perhaps it's another Frenchman - Jean-Luc Ponty.
From the opening Coquette everything gelled with le  bon monsieur spiriting the Jazz Café away from Pink Lane to the Rue du Coq in Montmartre.
Bandleader bassist turned guitarist Shoulder opened up a few eyes, impressing all with his technique and his affinity to the idiom.
On bass tonight was Paul Susans depping for Neil Harland. As always, he did the business.
Caesar Swing gave way to Martin's first vocal - It Had to be You - then Strong was featured on a bolero, the full title of which escaped me. Giles too is a player, sliding seamlessly from rhythm to solo. Edis on clarinet, as opposed to piano, although in minimalist mode was no less effective and added to the overall tonal picture as did Martin's next trick - a unison chorus of whistling and pizzicato violin!
J'Attendrai brought a shriek of delight from Patti resulting in an invite from the stage for her to sing it - an invitation she declined!
Take Zee A Train and Minor Swing concluded the first set.
There was a buzz in the air during the interval. The kind of buzz you only get when the audience knows they are witnessing something special.
Activities got underway again with I'll See You in my Dreams. Nuages began with a violin introductory cadenza of Kreisler-like virtuosity before the quintet embarked on this most loved piece of the hot club repertoire.
All of Me, another vocal, included a violin/vocal scat chorus that somehow seemed to segue into a Bach fugue!
Giles took the lead on 51 Swing before the big finale on Dark Eyes.
It had been quite a night and, if you missed out, catch them tonight at Bishop Auckland Town Hall or Queen's Hall, Hexham, on Friday night (Details in top right hand column.)
Photos.
Lance.

2 comments :

Patti said...

What a great night!! And it would have been totally spoiled for everyone if I had tried singing .....

Liz said...

this is very much like the Gypsy Jazz evenings at the Victoria Vaults , here in York. Every other Wednesday...next one is 17th Feb...

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