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

18361 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 215 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 8 ), 25

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Fri 13: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00.
Fri 13: The SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Soothsayers + Rookie Numbers @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.

Sat 14: The Too Bad Jims @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. R&B.
Sat 14: NUJO @ Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. Time TBC. £15.00. supporter; £10.00. standard; £5.00. student. Seated event.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: The Too Bad Jims @ The Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £12.00. R&B.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Rebecca Poole @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Poole w. Dean Stockdale & Ken Marley. CANCELLED!

Mon 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Scotty Adair (drums).

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

Monday, June 11, 2018

Zbigniew Namyslowski Quintet

Back in 1964, Zbigniew Namyslowski set Newcastle on fire after a memorable session at the New Orleans Club. I wasn't actually there but the number of people 'of a certain age' who have, over the years, waxed eloquent about it (substitute 'waxed eloquent' with raved) makes me think I had been there!. Listening to the album, Lola, recorded around that time makes me realise I was there, albeit in spirit rather than in person.
Let's move forward some 54 years to the July, 2018, issue of DownBeat where we discover a mention, if not a review, of the aforementioned alto player who actually released a newly recorded album last year - Polish Jazz--Yes! Warner Music is the company that released the disc and, if it is half as good as Lola then seek it out. Who knows, it might even be better! 
Lance.

2 comments :

Tomasz Furmanek (on F/b) said...

Wow! Zbigniew Namyslowski is amazing, a true giant and legend of Polish jazz! He represents all that's best in Polish jazz, and in jazz generally!! :)

Anonymous said...

Hello Lance
I think I've mentioned before, I was at this memorable session. Never heard anything quite like it. Fantastic. My other main recollection of the New Orleans Club is the regular session of a quartet fronted by a very modern tenor sax player, Jeff Hedley. I think Bill Harper was in the band, Joe Young on guitar and I can't remember the bass player - do you know? I think they played a lot of Jeff's original compositions. I've often wondered what became of Jeff Hedley. I think someone said, quite a while back, that he worked at DHSS, Longbenton. Good memories of those heady days. New Orleans Club on Forth Bank and Club Agogo up on Percy Street. There I remember Alex Harvey Soul Band and Spencer Davis Group (with the amazing 17 year old Steve Winwood) in particular.
Roly


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