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

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Classic Swing @ The Ship, Monkseaton - July 24

Bob Wade (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jim McBriarty (tenor sax, clarinet, vocals); Don Fairley (trombone); Colin Haikney (piano); Alan Rudd (double bass); Tommy Graham (drums), Olive Rudd (vocals).
(Review by Russell)

If it's Tuesday it must be the Ship Inn. Classic Swing's weekly Monkseaton residency continues to attract a good number of folk to listen to the New Orleans to swing era band fronted by vocalist Olive Rudd alongside explosive trumpeter Bob Wade. 

It Don't Mean a Thing sang Olive and the boys in the band - including Mr Alan Rudd - tended to agree. Out of Nowhere with Wade playing flugelhorn is a favourite of band and audience featuring relaxed solos across the frontline. 
Pianist Colin Haikney set the bar high on Perdido although this didn't deter Rudd A from taking a concise solo. This afternoon drummer Tommy Graham briefly stepped into the spotlight when Wade informed us that it was Tommy's birthday...a chorus of Happy Birthday greeted a beaming Mr Graham!

An interval toastie, a dud raffle ticket, and before long the second set got under way with Olive singing Blue Skies (the band out for one chorus as Don Fairley's trombone solo accompanied by Rudd's sublte bass line reminded us of just how good a player he is), Muskrat Ramble raised the roof with Wade prominent and as three o'clock approached Limehouse Blues featured Jim McBriarty's swinging tenor sax. 

Birthday boy Tommy Graham had a ball on Caravan and to round off another enjoyable session at the Ship, Olive Rudd rejoined the band to sing Tuxedo Junction.
Russell.   

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