Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 742 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 4.) 21.

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

September.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Ian Bosworth (guitar); Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Jeremy McMurray (keyboards); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums) & guest Mick Donnelly (tenor sax).
Sun 06: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Ropner Park, Stockton. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Nils Kavanagh Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 08: Seijiro Murayama & Jean-Luc Guionnet @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Warwick St., Newcastle, NE2 1BB. 7.00pm. £10.00 (advance); £12.00 (on door); £.15.00 (solidarity).
Tue 08: SH#RP Collective @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 08: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club. 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE. Excellent trio.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Jacenaite All Crew @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 10: Emma Rawicz INKYRA @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.30. Sage Two. Line-up: Emma Rawicz (sax); Scottie Thompson (piano, keyboards, synth); David Preston (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar); Jack Thomas (drums).

Fri 11: Esther Bennett @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £10.00. Esther Bennett (vocals); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass).
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £14.09 (inc. bf).

Sat 12: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 12: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26 (inc. bf).

Saturday, October 28, 2017

CD Review: Sean Noonan – Man No Longer Me

(Review by Steve H).
Sean Noonan describes himself as a modern-day griot gathering stories, legends and folklore from around the world. His latest album Man No Longer Me shows that he has got good value from his travel. The liner notes describe his latest album as a story  ‘ ...about the transformation of a man who gets tickled by a sunbeam one morning on a mountaintop, and who, as the story progresses, wanders and gets lost in a desert and transforms into a coyote’
Having seen Sean several times in a jazz-oriented capacity this concept album certainly does not come as shock because even in his live jazz gigs there is always an element of mystical surreal storytelling.
Man No Longer Me comprises of 11 songs telling the tale described above. There is every single style imaginable incorporated in this album. Starting off with a honkytonk Fender Rhodes vibe on Man vs Machine, moving through some very classical string quartet style accompaniments on He Skarbnik and Queen of Kings. In between, we have ska (Pussy Cat Got Wild Last Night), funk (Cupids Packing Heat), a love ballad (I am your Pineapple), gospel and psychedelia (Eat my Makeup) and folk (Queen of Kings).The longest track on the album Lost in Guenter’s Wald has an Eastern European and at times Cossack dance motif and tells the tale of a man’s experience from taking mushrooms. I have no idea whether this is autobiographical or not.
The album comes to a peaceful end with the almost ecclesiastical peace Bia. Lyrically, the compositions contain some great surreal and comedic lyrics as the song titles illustrate, Gabriel Garcia Marquez he may not be but hell it certainly makes a change from the Great America Songbook. Encapsulating a kaleidoscope of styles, in fact far too many to mention, the constantly changing and evolving canvas on which Noonan paints his wonderful musical landscape make it fascinating and a joy to listen to.
Steve H. 
Sean Noonan (producer, drummer, composer, vocals); Johnny Richards (keyboards); Michael Bardon (bass); Norbert Buerger (guitar); Adam Roszkowski, Maciej Afanasjew, Mandhira De Saram, Patrick Dawkins (violin); Richard Jones, Adam Debski (viola); Jan Roszkowski, Valerie Welbanks (cello); Manuel Cossu (baritone); Matteo Siddi (tenor); Marta Melis (alto); Alice Madeddu (soprano); Harry Saltzman (sax).


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