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

18395 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 259 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 30 ), 69

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

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.

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). Free. Chicago blues.

Tuesday, July 09, 2019

Better than Paracetamol - two great albums

It's Tuesday, the jam is on, but it's not my good news day. I woke up this morning, yes I woke up this morning and my nostrils were a flood, seems like I caught a cold, yes, I got it bad and that ain't good.

So, not wishing to spread the germs around, what could I do but cuddle up to the CD player and ease my troubled mind?

This also seemed to be the ideal moment to dispose of a couple more of the Dreyfus albums - there's still 3 more to go after this. I'm not going to include any of the 14 CDs/LPs in my 'Discs of the Year' listings - how could I? They're simply unbeatable.

Milestones includes seven Birth of the Cool tracks, a couple with Bird on tenor, live tracks of Miles in Birdland with Stan Getz and Art Blakey, and three with James Moody at the 1949 Paris Jazz Festival. These were the Hot Fives of their day and still sound good.

I've Got You Under My Skin is Sinatra at his finest and, if you're a Frankophile, you will already have these tracks. If you haven't then your stature in society will be questioned. A hefty chunk of the 20 titles are from Songs for Swinging Lovers - the greatest vocal album of all-time - the others are from the same period. I refer to that glorious era when Sinatra had moved on from his early croony years but had yet to become the somewhat bland Las Vegas hotshot. Those mid to late '50s recordings set a benchmark that has yet to be surpassed - it probably never will although they did say that about the 4-minute mile.

So, although I'm missing the jam (and the ale) Miles and Frank are helping to alleviate the pain.
Lance

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