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, March 13, 2016

CD Review: Marcos Varela - San Ygnacio.

(Review by Lance).
One of the many highlights of last year's GIJF was the session by "The Cookers". A session that featured high on many of  our 'Gig of the Year' listings and justifiably so. When I noted that two of those gig-scarred veterans, Hart and Cables, were on this album I shuffled it to the top of the pile without apology!
Hart's drumming is everything we've come to expect of a man whose CV includes just about every jazzer of consequence. Cables? Good enough for Art Pepper, good enough for me!
And good enough for Varela - or is that vice-versa? The bassist/leader is a 'comer' and, in years to come, will himself be "a Cooker" In the meantime, he's keeping the pot boiling with some mighty fine [he's from Texas] bass playing.
Of the others who drop by for a track or two, Clifton Anderson scores on trombone.
The opener is the only standard - Cables' arrangement of I Should Care.
Varela qualifies the inclusion of the gasser: The jazz community wants to hear you play over a standard and know you have that ability. If you can't play a standard, it negates your jazz legitimacy.
At last someone has said it!
No doubts about the legitimacy here!
If BSH awarded stars this would have as many as you could see on a clear night at midnight.
Lance.
Available  March 18.

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