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, October 10, 2019

Beverley Knight sings Stevie Wonder @ Sage Gateshead - October 9

A jazz gig? No, but the music of Stevie Wonder all but guarantees some interest, not least in the arrangements for the horn section. A successful BBC Radio 2 Friday Night is Music Night Live broadcast concert performance encouraged all concerned to do it again. And so it came about that Sage Gateshead found itself on a ten date British tour itinerary.

The star of the show, Beverley Knight, clad in a figure-hugging jumpsuit a la Diana Ross, bounded onto Sage One's stage to tumultuous acclaim and from there on in it was an exhausting, non-stop revue of all things Stevie Wonder plus a choice selection from Knight's 25 year back catalogue of hits.

Knight's 'backing band' was none other than the Leo Green Orchestra and, as anticipated, one or two familiar jazz faces were in the line-up. From the famous opening riff of Superstition to the closing number from the days of Little Stevie Wonder - Uptight - everything certainly was alright. The band - a four-strong horn section, three keyboards, two guitarists, a bass player holding down the James Jamerson role, drums, percussion, the BK Strings (two violins, viola, cello) and a quartet of backing singers - gave a committed performance under the direction of Leo Green.

Hard bop tenor star Leo Richardson enjoyed the occasion to the extent that he willingly joined in the dance routines! One of drummer Ed Richardson's regular gigs is working in Leo's blistering quartet yet here he was at Sage Gateshead nailing the Motown charts. In truth there wasn't a great deal of space for the horns to have a blow although Leo did feature briefly on For Once in My Life.

Ms Knight welcomed a surprise guest to join her on a couple of numbers, Wearside-born Dave Stewart of Eurythmics' fame. From start to finish the audience repeatedly got to its feet to boogie on down. The packed hall loved it, the odds are that Beverley Knight's forthcoming new album - BK: Beverley Knight with the Leo Green Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall will be something of a chart success! 
Russell
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