Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ 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: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

CD Review: Bansangu Orchestra

(Review by Lance).
Bansangu's name derives from Brazillian percussionist Airto Moreira's habit of saying "Ban san gu' when paying his musicians. Translated it means 'Band Sounds Good!'
It was back in 2014 that ace tenor player Paul Booth got together with Giorgio Serci and Kevin Robinson to formulate the idea of a traditional big band playing music from a diverse range of cultures such as African, Brazillian, Caribbean, Celtic, Cuban, Indian and Middle Eastern. This they do without losing the overall jazz feeling but, at the same time, adding a different dimension.
Over the years, Gillespie, Kenton, Don Ellis and others have explored different cultures although none have covered such a wide spectrum. There may be some obscure tribe in one of the four continents whose indigenous sounds have been overlooked but there can't have been many.
Originals by Booth, Jayasinha, Wilson, Serci Mantovani, Mires and Oli Rockberger plus Robinson's arrangement of The Doors' Light My Fire make for compelling listening and the solos by Booth, Mayne, Yarde, Quigley, Jayasinha, Fishwick, Mires, Dickinson, Wilson, Serci. Youngs, Banks, Rockberger, Mayer and Keita combine to elevate the music to a rarified level.
To sum up: Ban san gu!
Put this one on your bucket list.
Lance
Album due for release by Pathway Records (PBCD0121) on August 3. Launch at Margate Jazz Weekend on September 21.

Paul Booth (MD/tenor/soprano/etc.)*; Jason Yarde (alto/soprano); Sammy Mayne (alto/flute);  Richard Beesley (tenor/clarinet); Gemma Moore (baritone/bass clarinet). Ryan Quigley, Kevin Robinson, Andy Greenwood, Shanti Paul Jayasinha, Steve Fishwick (trumpets)**; Trevor Mires***, Barnaby Dickinson, Robbie Harvey, Martin Gladdish, Richard Henry (trombones)****; Alex Wilson (piano); Giorgio Serci (guitar/oud); Davide Mantovani (elec. bass); Satin Singh, Edwin Sanz (perc.); Rod Youngs or Tristan Banks***** (drums) + Jonathan Mayer (sitar); Oli Rockberger (piano); Seckou Keita (kora).
*etc. includes: flutes/melodica/accordion/voice/perc/keys.
**Trumpets all double on flugelhorn.
***Trevor Mires supplies the pedal effects. 
****Richard Henry plays bass trombone and tuba.
*****Banks replaces Youngs on one track only.
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