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

18336 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 190 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 28), 90

From This Moment On ...

March

Fri 06: EXHIBITION: Images of Jazz @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. Visual artist Dave Barden exhibiting works in Gallery Two (10:00am-4:00pm Mon to Sat, closing May 30).
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Market Place, Blyth NE24 1BQ. 5:00pm, 6:00pm & 7:30pm. Free. A ‘Festival of Energy’ event.
Fri 06: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 06: Brass Funkeys + support @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Fri 06: Vintage Explosion @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 06: Flat Moon + Spilt Milk @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.
Fri 06: Giles Strong Quartet @ Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:45pm (7:00pm doors). £16.50.
Fri 06: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. Musicians Unlimited (in concert). £10.00. (£20.00 weekend ticket). Day 1/3.

Sat 07: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 12 noon. Open Section (all day, closing concert performance at 7:00pm). £15.00. (£20.00 weekend ticket). Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Antônio Carlos Jobim: Meditation & How Insensitive. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free. Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Mary’s Parish Hall, Barnard Castle. 7:00pm. £20.00., £8.00 under 16. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 07: Taupe + Marigolds + Mother Man @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 9:30am. School Section & Youth Section (all day). £10.00. (£20.00 weekend ticket). Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: TRIO-SKW @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Josh Savage (drums); Lucas Kelly (organ); Tim ‘Bim’ Williams (guitar).
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Trish Clowes’ My Iris @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 08: Durham University Big Band & Foot Notes @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. £10.00., £8.00., £6.00. Big band & a cappella ensemble.

Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, 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, January 25, 2021

The Glenn Crytzer Quartet in the year 1931 - Jan. 24

Glenn Crytzer (guitar, vocals); Mike Davis (trumpet); Ricky Alexander (clarinet); Andrew Hall (double bass)

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, written in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash, opened this week's NYC Sunday afternoon session by the Glenn Crytzer Quartet (2:30 EST, 7:30 GMT). Band leader Crytzer is well versed in all aspects of the live stream, ever the genial host, songs from 1931 in the spotlight. All of Me with Crtyzer taking a first vocal along with a rarely heard verse for good measure, followed by Just Friends, clarinetist Ricky Alexander soloing fluently.  
I Surrender, Dear from the year in question, one of many tunes associated with Louis Armstrong, Crytzer leading the way, Armstrong, aka Mike Davis, following on. As Time Goes By, Crytzer suggesting the tune was the one and only composition of note written by one Herman Hupfield, the boys in the band chipping in to the effect that if this was Hupfield's sole claim to fame, it was a good one! Thanks to the NYPD racing by with sirens blaring, Crytzer took not one, not two, but three takes, finally deciding to take it from the chorus -all together now: You must remember this...

Reminding his online audience that it's Hip to tip!, Crytzer said: Let's get right at it, the quartet playing Sweet and Lovely. And here's a rarity, ace trumpeter Davis struggled to hit the high notes! Making amends, Davis nailed a superb muted solo on the uptempo novelty number Egyptian Ella. Taking time out to let the guys catch their breath, Crytzer took a peek at the online chat. When I Take My Sugar to Tea resumed affairs, string bassist Andrew Hall swinging it, Alexander quoting Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, an appreciative nod from Davis. 

And on to the slowest tune in the Glenn Crytzer Quartet's lockdown pad - Dream a Little Dream of Me. Davis' pure tone, Alexander's woody reed, simple. And on to the last number of the NYPD-interrupted set (perhaps the cops were in hot pursuit of a twenty first century Lucky Luciano
!). Fats Waller's I'm Crazy bout my Baby

Next week Crytzer's quartet won't be live streaming from NYC. The boys have their first real, live gig of the winter down in Florida. Well, someone has to do it! 
Russell

Set list: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue SeaAll of MeJust FriendsI Surrender DearAs Time Goes BySweet and LovelyEgyptian EllaWhen I Take My Sugar to Tea; Dream a Little Dream of MeI'm Crazy bout my Baby.

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