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, June 08, 2019

Jazz in Jarrow - Just for the record














So there I was mooching around Jarrow's Viking Shopping Centre - the outlook was decidedly blue, what to do? what to do? what to do? Circumstances decreed I'd be unable to get to the DJAZZ Festival in Durham and the opening of the heavens decreed that mooching was no longer an option. As it has done on many more serious occasions, the Sally Army came to the rescue. I scuttled into their local charity shop seeking shelter and succour and what did I find?

A stand that's full of vinyl or what we older folks refer to as LPs. And there, amidst the usual dross of Jim Reeves, Max Bygraves and Mantovani were the two albums pictured!



At £1.50 a shot I didn't hesitate - there may have been other jazz moochers around - but plonked my money down and went on my way rejoicing.

The Red Allen album, recorded in 1957, has such all-time greats as Coleman Hawkins, J.C.Higginbotham, Buster Bailey, Marty Napoleon, Everett Barksdale, Lloyd Trotman and Cosy Cole. For those who think Shaw and Goodman were the pinnacles of clarinet playing check out Buster Bailey.

The Garner album is less exciting having a brass section augmenting the trio but when the pianist is given his freedom he shines as only he can.

Talking about shining - it had stopped raining when I left!
Lance

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