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.

Friday, May 01, 2020

Streaming Rico, Martin 'n' Bunny - May 1

Rico Tomasso (trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals); Martin Litton (piano) 

Another Friday, another Rico Tomasso lockdown session. This week our host was drinking Fuller's Bengal Lancer, your reviewer Cullercoats' Rocket Brigade IPA. Joining Rico this evening were Martin Litton and Bunny Berigan - the former virtually, the latter in spirit. That's Berigan in the frame between Martin on the left and Rico on the right (see photo). 

As ever, three tunes interspersed by entertaining anecdotes made the half hour fly by. Rico introduced Marie saying he would try to emulate, on trumpet, Tommy Dorsey's trombone part with the aid of a mic-a-mute and Martin Litton would take the part of the entire Dorsey orchestra. Rico clearly rates Martin's abilities! 

Picking up his flugelhorn, Rico chatted about Billy Butterfield and others by way of setting up Someone Else's Love. Our host said he was familiar with Jack Teagarden's recording otherwise he was taking a look at it more or less for the first time. Litton's accompaniment was as one would expect, top drawer, although on this occasion the picture froze (thankfully not the audio) on Martin with Rico unaffected - we're becoming accustomed to these things!

Rico mentioned he was sitting in the garden earlier today when he came across the online funeral service of clarinetist Dick Laurie. Mr Laurie died on April 10, an appreciation of the popular jazz man can be found at www.thesohosociety.org.uk.  

In signing-off for the evening, Rico plugged 'Dress Up Saturday', that's when our Louis disciple dresses up for no good reason other than he fancies it! With Martin Litton as Fats Waller, Rico said good night with Honeysuckle Rose.  
Russell 

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