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

18402 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 31 ), 76

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

April

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Zoë Gilby & Johnny Hunter @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 09: Tom Remon + Laurence Harrison @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 09: Michael Littlefield @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Blues.
Thu 09: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra w. Dan Johnson @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. £15.00. inc. bf.

Fri 10: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes Montgomery @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Joe Steels, Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Gambling Janes @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 10: Jake Leg Jug Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 10: Steve White Trio @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00. + bf. Soul Drum (Acid Jazz Records) album tour.

Sat 11: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £26.80.

Sun 12: Swing Social @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Admission: Donations (£5.00. - £10.00. suggested). Swing dance taster class, social dancing to Niffi Osiyemi Trio, DJs. Non dancers welcome. A Cluny-Swing Tyne event.
Sun 12: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: Trio Grand @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30-9:30pm. £10.84.
Sun 12: SH#RP Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Wednesday, March 06, 2019

Jam Session @ the Black Swan - March 5

James Harrison (keys); Paul Grainger (bass); Russ Morgan (drums) + Graham Easthope, John Rowland, Ian White (tenor); Julija Jacenaite (vocals).
(Review/ Photos. by Lance).

Not a vintage jam regarding numbers of sitters-in although the goodly crowd was dealt quality-a-plenty. How could they not have been with the effervescent Harrison at the top of his game and the more laid back Grainger and Morgan equally sound? The opening Stompin' at the Savoy set the standard for what was to follow. Now normally, exchanges of fours bore me rigid but the musical repartee between piano and drums on the opening number was the exception. The fours became twos and the interplay was both meaningful and intentionally humourous.

Shrove or Fat Tuesday was celebrated Mardi Gras style with Just a Closer Walk With Thee followed by Mambo Inn.

The first of the few jammers, Graham Easthope took centre stage for a couple of tunes that had a familiar Blue Note sound to them. He opted for a sound deflector attached to the bell of his tenor but the tone was better when he removed it for Song For my Father.

Julija, the lark from Lithuania, has been absent for some time so it was a pleasure to have her back to belt out Cry Me a River. John Rowland joined her for You'd be so Nice to Come Home to and Wave. Ms. Jacenaite will be back for a lunchtime duo gig with Steve Glendinning in the Mezzanine Café section of the building on March 13 at two pm. The next jam session will also be held in the Mezz on March 19 (8pm).
Rowland blew gutsy tenor on Ladybird and It Ain't Necessarily So before, in the absence of any relief pianists, bassists or drummers, an interval was called. 

This was the night of the three tenors as yet another Bb horn stepped up in the form of Ian White. Black Orpheus had a 5 star solo from James and Ian didn't do bad either!

John Rowland had departed so it was left to Ian and Graham to battle it out like Dexter and Wardell on West Coast Blues.

Ian shone on Well You Needn't and Oleo and the two tenors took us out on Blue Bossa and Caravan.

More jam tonight (Wednesday March 6). at the Dun Cow in Jesmond.
Lance.

 Photos.
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