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.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Paul Skerritt: Spark Radio Stream - April 15.

Well this Facebook thing is admirable and has my full support but it's also frustrating. You follow a link which leads to another link and then when you get there the picture/sound freezes, I watched Liane Carroll intermittently but eventually gave up which was a shame as the songs, in between the glitches were excellent. Reminds me of the old black and white televisions when you had to give them a kick to stop the grainy picture rolling.

Spark Radio, over in Sunderland, seem to have it under control although there were frozen moments here too, albeit not pulling the plug moments which brings me to our man of the moment, Paul Skerritt, who gave the Sunderland Sparks something to cheer about.

Puttin' on the Ritz - there used to be a Ritz cinema in Sunderland but Paul was probably singing about a different Ritz - may be a biscuit firm. Whatever, our man was in good voice.

Black and Gold led to Bobby Darin's version of Clementine followed by the Harry Connick Jr. take on It Had to be You. Bublé was well represented with his versions of When You're Smiling, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and It Had Better be Tonight.

I sung along with the "all together folks" chorus on Can't Take My Eyes Off You, poured a glass of Hungarian Sauvignon Blanc during That's Amore - Hungary's not that far away from Italy compared to Hebburn - then looked out On the Street Where  You (I) Live.

Excellent but,  hey Paul - where was Ole Blue Eyes?
Lance

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