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.

Saturday, March 02, 2019

CD Review: Kansas Smitty's House Band - Broadway 2018

Pete Horsfall (cornet); Giacomo Smith (alto sax); Alec Harper (tenor sax); Dave Archer (guitar); Joe Webb (piano); Ferg Ireland (bass); Will Cleasby (drums) + (on track 4)  Adrian Cox (clarinet); Pedro Segundo (drums).
(Review by Lance).

My favourite British band from the 1940s was the Harry Hayes Sextet. They epitomised jazz/swing/pre-bop music in the immediate post-war years and were probably as close to small group Ellingtonia as any other outfit within these isles.

Imagine if they had emerged 70 years later - my guess is that they would have sounded very much like Kansas Smitty's Houseband which is a tribute to both bands. The Smithsonian's of 63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH have truly managed to create a link between the past, the present and (we hope) the future.

Broadway 2018, released in December last year, is a compilation of, in their opinion, the best of the numbers featured on EP and live performance over the past 12 months. I won't argue with the choice and nor would I disagree if the selection had been totally different. Anyone who heard the band at Sage Gateshead last year will, I'm sure, rubber stamp my approval.

I've got the feeling that on my next trip to London I may be bypassing W1 for E8!
Lance.
See also details of their latest EP due out this month.
PS: Adrian Cox is at Darlington this lunchtime (March 2 - see above listings for details).
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