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.
Thu 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. 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).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: The ’58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club, West Park, 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 18: Brand New Heavies @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Wednesday, June 03, 2020

Dom Pipkin: Wednesday Piano Joys - June 3

Dom Pipkin (piano/vocals).

Dom's regular Wednesday night spot never fails to please and tonight was no exception.

I turned up slightly late for the recital (all the best people do - I'm the exception) but the 45 minutes that I did hear made me wish I'd been on time.

The beauty of Dom's playing is in the variety that he offers. I could say, not a lot of jazz and I would be totally wrong. There is often more jazz played in blues and rock & roll than there is in some of the things that pass for jazz these days! 

However, I'm not going down that road - that is a discussion for another day - instead, I'm going to reflect upon the ambiance of this man's playing which first impressed me at Hoochie with his Ikos and later at a solo gig in Darlo with a couple of CDs in between.

When I arrived on Facebook, which, tonight, was behaving itself, Hallelujah I Just Love Her So was in full flight. Great number whether by Basie (w. Joe Williams), Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra or Dom Pipkin.

George Michael's Careless Whisper was given some extra Wham! when it segued into I Will Wait for You and what could be a more appropriate song for today than Make a Better World?

A jaunty Happy Birthday, James Booker's Pixie and a cameo appearance by one of Dom's cats - a black and white beauty!

Ain't Misbehavin' was given the Fats' treatment whilst Tutti Frutti was for the late Little Richard.

Our 88er put the baby grand through its paces on Rockin' Pneumonia before moving back to the 1930s and Just One More Chance.

A Stevie Wonder tune, that I didn't recognise, followed. Suffice to say it was rather beautiful.

Jambalaya, made me want to put crawfish pie and filé gumbo on my shopping list for tomorrow.

The cat returned, or was it a different one? I always say a house is not a home without a cat or two. On the Sunny Side of the Street was followed by What a Wonderful World ...

Dom's back next Wednesday.
Lance.

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