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.

Tuesday, October 04, 2016

CD Review: Arte Del Duo - Mili Bermejo and Dan Greenspan

Mili Bermejo (voice); Dan Greenspan (double bass)
(Review by Ann Alex)
Bermejo hails from Buenos Aires and is a professor of music whilst Greenspan is from New Haven and is a cellist/ freelance bassist.
These two people have made much music over the last 25 years but this is their first CD as a duo. They are a couple in life as well as music, changing their direction after the traumatic events of 9/11, and deciding to live their lives in a manner closer to nature, and doing less music. They have now returned to music.

I have to confess that I have not listened to this jazz influenced CD in its entirety, but simply ‘tasted’ each track, because all the lyrics are in Spanish which I cannot speak, and I’m no expert in exactly what to listen for from the double bass. However I’ve submitted a review because I think this CD would be excellent listening for Spanish speakers, bass players and possibly guitarists and others. The singing is heartfelt and skilled and the bass is a full partner in the music and sometimes guitar-like. Many of the 12 tracks have an environmental theme and there is a brief outline in English on the CD cover, to explain the meaning of each track. For example, La Casa Del Arbol (The Tree House) is explained as ‘when the ills of the world take away my desire to love, I retreat to my secret refuge, where among birds and stars, I recover, becoming whole. If anyone reading this would like to give the CD a worthwhile hearing, perhaps we could arrange to pass the disc on via BSH.

Ann Alex

No comments :

Blog Archive