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

18361 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 215 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 8 ), 25

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Fri 13: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00.
Fri 13: The SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Soothsayers + Rookie Numbers @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.

Sat 14: The Too Bad Jims @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. R&B.
Sat 14: NUJO @ Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. Time TBC. £15.00. supporter; £10.00. standard; £5.00. student. Seated event.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: The Too Bad Jims @ The Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £12.00. R&B.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Rebecca Poole @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Poole w. Dean Stockdale & Ken Marley. CANCELLED!

Mon 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Scotty Adair (drums).

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

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Sunday Jazz @ Middlesbrough Town Hall w. Binker Golding Band, Noya Rao, & Francis Tulip Quartet.

Binker Golding Band: Golding (tenor sax); Sarah Tandy (piano); Conor Chaplin (bass); Jamie Murray (drums).
(Review by Lance)

This was a cracker! From the opening number everyone went for it. Train-lagged they may have been but it didn’t show. Sarah Tandy set the bench mark at what seemed an impossible high but nothing is impossible and it was passed several times, not least by herself. Tenor and drums also posted the unreachable (bassist Chaplin set down his mark later). This was just the first tune and already I was on the edge of my seat eagerly anticipating the next one.

Think Blue Note, Dexter, Johnny Griffin blowing in today’s world and you’re getting close. Think of your favourite pianists then reshuffle the list making sure the name Tandy is amongst them.

Down in The Crypt – aptly named – I was glad of the foresight to don an extra layer but, such was the heat being generated by the players, Binker removed a layer and Chaplin rolled up his sleeves. The warmth reached out to me and I no longer felt cold.

No announcements were made until the end when Binker Trane – sorry, Golding - announced that all the numbers were from his latest album which has the unlikely title of Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers
11 out of 10!
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Francis Tulip Quartet: Tulip (guitar); Ben Lawrence (piano); Michael Dunlop (bass guitar); Kai Chareunsy (drums)The afternoon opened up with a set by guitarist Tulip’s quartet who treated the not inconsiderable audience to pieces by Wayne Shorter (The Big Push & Infant Eyes); Herbie Hancock (I Have a Dream); Elvin Jones (Giraffe) and his own Matters of Fact. It is to his credit that, despite the illustrious names who had composed the preceding numbers, it was Tulip’s own piece that showed off the band to greatest effect. That’s true – it’s a matter of fact.
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Noya Rao: Olivia Bhattacharjee (voice/electronics); Tom Henry (keys/producer); Jim Wiltshire (bass guitar); Matt Davies (drums).

Slotted between the other two bands on the bill I have to hold up my hand and say this wasn’t really my scene and it would be unfair of me to pass judgement. Having said that, Olivia Bhattacharjee has a beautifully textured voice and a range that hinted at having operatic dimensions. All four are fine musicians and Russell was certainly impressed so perhaps he should be writing about this section of the afternoon. Electronic-soul is how the programme notes defined it so maybe Steve T should be doing the honours.

However, they sold CDs and the applause resounded so maybe I was the only one marching in step!

One thing is sure, the afternoon/early evening format of providing a platform for young bands from near and far is a good one and deserving of support (as of course are all gigs featuring live music). Next month’s offering is Paul Edis’ Jazzy Christmas with vocals by Jo Harrop and support from  the stars of the future – Jambone. This is on Sunday December 15 from 2:00pm - 6:00pm.
Lance.

2 comments :

Ros Rigby said...

Glad you enjoyed it Lance!

Lance said...

And well done you (Ros) for putting this all together!

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