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.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Jam Session @ The Dun Cow, Jesmond - Dec. 12

Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Matthew Fairhurst (drums); John Rowlands (tenor sax); Ray Burns (accordion); David Olatunji (trumpet); Jordan Alfonso (alto).
(Review by Lance).
A relatively low key evening with audience numbers low and sitters-in sitting out - apart from the select few.

A comfortable start by the exquisite trio of Williams, Champion and Morgan. It Could Happen to You; Jobim's If You Never Come to me and a belting The Song is You. Mark Williams must have been transmitting some sonic signals during his dextrous dash through the changes of this latter tune as, during the course of a F#m7(b5) inversion, some Christmas decorations descended from above and had a member of the audience down for an 8 count. As the earlier song said - It could happen to you!
Matthew Fairhurst is fast gaining a reputation as a steady and tasteful drummer which he displayed on Solar and, when the inscrutable John Rowland joined the party, more aggressively on Cottontail and Four. JR blew some booting tenor that kept things swinging along nicely. 

After that ever-present lady, Miss Jones (Rodgers & Hart) was introduced, a face new to the jam circuit appeared. Trumpet player David Olatunji made a hesitant debut on Beautiful Love but became more confident on All of Me during the course of which the ubiquitous Ray Burns unwrapped his accordion.

After an intermission, it was all hands to the pump with Jordan Alfonso blowing alto, JR on tenor, Burnsy and Olatunji all wailing on Caravan followed by Doxy and the jammers' national anthem - Take the A Train or, in my case, the metro after an evening that turned out to be not low key at all.
Lance.
PHOTOS.

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