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, November 19, 2016

Musicians Unlimited @ Park Hotel, Hartlepool. Nov. 13

In the absence of Mick Donnelly the band looked to Ray Dales to lead from the front, select a few tunes and keep the regulars happy. Bill Watson (trumpet and flugelhorn) took the lion’s share of the solos with John Hudson (tenor) and Dales himself (alto) a soloist. Opening with Blueberry Hill the numbers should have come thick and fast. It didn’t quite happen like that with lengthy breaks between tunes as the laid back Dales took time to call the next one. 

The well-drilled trumpet section – with Bill Watson the featured soloist on trumpet and flugelhorn – hit the heights, the trombones – with Don Fairley in the section – strolled through it all and the rhythm section did likewise. The vocalists were absent (they’ll return on Sunday) resulting in Witchcraft being played as an instrumental. The set closer – Strike Up the Band – proved to be just about the best tune of the afternoon.       
Russell   
Musicians Umlimited: trumpet & flugelhorn: Alan Catherall, David Johnson, Kevin Eland, Bill Watson; trombone: Don Fairley, Dave Brock, Helen Grainger, Peter Chester; reeds: John Hudson (tenor), Mark Toomey (tenor), Ray Dales (MD, alto), Caroline Bagley (alto), Ian Bosworth (guitar), Bryn Jones (piano), Mick Shoulder (double bass), Tom Chapman (drums) & Ernie Jackson (percussion)

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