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

Friday, January 08, 2021

Adrian Cox Quartet live streaming from Kansas Smitty's - Jan. 8


Adrian Cox (clarinet); Noah Stoneman (piano); Daisy George (bass); Jas Kayser (drums).

(Screenshots by Ken Drew)

One thing about Smitty's is the variety on offer. It's never too ancient nor is it ever too modern but always just right for today. Not only that, the ever increasing pool of musicians are always able to  seamlessly adapt to their surrounds and tonight was no exception.

Clarinetist Cox was in his element tonight playing the music of Barney Bigard - the others in the band may have been unfamiliar with BB - they know all about him now and, indeed did the legendary clarinetist proud.
A good mix of tunes, some well known, some not so well known but all performed brilliantly.

One of tonight's numbers was a tune called Sobbin and Cryin' a number Bigard had recorded as a clarinet duet with Claude Luter. Interestingly, earlier, in a  DownBeat Blindfold Test, Bigard said of Luter's band:"They're out of tune so much it hurts your ears." - (DownBeat - April 7, 1948)

No such problems here!

The whole session was an absolute delight. Adrian did what he does best - play the clarinet  better than most.

Stoneman, who missed out on a BBC YJMY gong by semi-quavers, won his spurs in the real world. Jas just did the gig and, by her playing, defies anyone to do it better.

Daisy George was new to me but she had some lovely, meaningful solos and, I guess, is someone we'll see more often.

C'mon Smitty - give us a bad one! Prove that even you guys ain't perfect!

Fat chance!
Lance.

Caravan; Frolic Sam; Clouds in my Heart; Twelfth Street Rag; Sobbin' and Cryin'; Frog-I-More Rag; Ready Eddy; Charlie the Chulo; Promenade Aux Champs Elysée. 

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