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

Monday, December 21, 2020

Zoë Gilby Quartet live streaming from The Globe - Dec. 20

Zoë Gilby (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums).

(Photos courtesy of Dave Parker)

What a great way to spend a Sunday evening, attending an online gig played by a first class jazz outfit! Thirty or so households did just that, so if you weren't among them, you missed a treat.

The set included songs from the soon-to-be-released  CD of the Tom Harrell project; songs from Living In Shadows, another band with which Zoë is connected, and of course some songs from the GASbook.  Zoë sang in her unique style with some very lively scat; the songs ranged from the heartfelt love song for her husband (Andy on bass) Sending Electricity; the saloon song I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco; to an account of an intensely terrifying woman, Angela. And it's worth noting that at least 4 of the songs performed were originals with lyrics by Zoë to Andy's music.

Brubeck's Travelin' Blues opened the set, with the band sounding as if they were moving along indeed, with a steady bass line playing over light drums. Mark excelled, (how does he get better each time?) not only on jazz guitar but this time playing acoustic guitar which sounded pleasingly folky on Sending Electricity where he matched the voice well with delicate tones.

Bass and drums did great stuff (but we expect no less), especially notable when they had solos early in the set on Harrell's Forget the Past, fast boppy stuff. And I must mention the bass playing on Peter Gabriel's Mother of Violence, excellent atmospheric work with the bow, raising the tension. And we ended with a fast spirited version of That Old Black Magic.

The Globe organisation deserves endless praise for the great camera and sound work, and for being able to put on any gigs at all in these difficult times. Christmas best wishes to all concerned, as we all wished each other in the chat column. The gigs resume on January 8 next year. Until then, stay safe everyone.

Ann Alex

Travelin' Blues; For the Day; Forget the Past; All or Nothing at All; Sending Electricity; Mother of Violence; I'm Always Drunk in San Francisco; Believe: Angela; Midnight Bell; That Old Black Magic.

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