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.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

The Riviera Quartet @ The Jazz Café - Feb. 26

Pete Tanton (tpt/flug); Mark Williams (gtr); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms).
(Review by Lance).
A rare appearance by the newly titled Riviera Quartet drew a goodly throng to Pink Lane and they weren't disappointed. 
It was a special treat to hear the American trumpet/flugel horn player soloing at length as opposed to the shorter blasts he's allotted with SSBB.  Flowing, lyrical lines; melodic, but with a cutting edge. On guitar, Williams was in overdrive. Woodstock revisited. Hendrix, Clapton, Metheny - Mark peddles excitement - or should that be pedals?
Morgan too was in the ass-kicking business. Booting, driving, spurring his colleagues on whilst, laying back when the mood demanded it.
Amidst it all stood Grainger, cooler than a cucumber, steadying the ship, The Rock of Gibraltar could learn a thing or two from Paul.
The name of the group, the Riviera Quartet, was inspired by the 1960's Dizzy Gillespie recording -Dizzy on the French Riviera - although all but one of the tunes played by the quartet were originals by either Tanton or Williams.
As the last number drew to a close the audience showed their appreciation by either clapping their hands, or, in Chaplin's* case, wagging its tail.
Let's hope this band shows up again soon - after all, you can't let a Jack Russell down!
Lance.
*Chaplin, Lindsay Hannon's Jack Russell terrier.

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