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, May 14, 2017

Philonious Funk @ Jesmond Library - May 13

 (Review by Russell)
The 2017 Jesmond Community Festival includes a couple of student jazz offerings. Later in the month members of Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra return to play a set ranging from swing era standards to bop and beyond. Last night’s jazz concert in Jesmond Library presented a new outfit – new to BSH that is – playing a funk set.
Philonious Funk is a student band from Northumbria University. The former polytechnic doesn’t offer a music degree but what it does have is a group of students playing music for fun and this public performance of two short sets of funk and soul entertained festival-goers in leafy Jesmond on a mild Saturday evening. 

A number of nearby student residences were in the throes of having their own shindig – they’re probably still going strong – oblivious to what was going down at their local library. Dad-dancing types made an effort to ‘get on down’ as Philonious Funk (great name!) launched into Uptown Funk. Pharrell Williams’ Happy and the Blues Brothers’ version of Spencer Davis’ Gimme Some Lovin’ had them twitching in their seats if not dancing in between the stacks.

During the interval festival goers stepped outside to check that the 4x4 hadn’t been twocked and make leafy small talk. Festival funksters got into the spirit with a quarter-full paper cup of white or red determined to ‘get on down’. Bruno Mars’ Treasure, a band original held its own, Superstition tested the horns – two trumpets, alto and trombone – and Valerie showcased one of two vocalists. The Main Squeeze’s Dr Funk sent the leafy brigade home happy.      
Russell.

No comments :

Blog Archive