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.

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).

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 11, 2021

Tom Seminar-Ford live streaming from Ronnie's - Jan. 11

(Screenshots by Ken Drew)

Tom Seminar-Ford is a name you're unlikely to forget in a hurry. And so TSF was just that, a 'name', one to be checked out. This evening's live stream from Ronnie's provided the opportunity to do just that. Tom Ford, as the band leader called himself, employs two very familiar names - Daisy George and Jas Kayser. Add Robbie Moore, playing old school Fender Rhodes, to the mix and you've got a quartet. But...what were they going to play?

Ford's music could be described as 'uncategorisable' but that's not much use in a review. So, here goes. Original? Hmmm. An amalgam of styles/influences, certainly. A set of seven songs, Ford content to describe his material as 'songs' rather than 'compositions' or 'numbers'. There was a vocal element to some, there was no shortage of instrumental virtuosity. Guitarist Ford deployed various pedals, as did bassist Daisy George and Robbie Moore at the Rhodes.  

From the opening FX7 to the closing Latin number (Ford didn't spell out its Portuguese title!), this was a display of effortless guitar playing. Think Joe Pass (as on  Relax, Study, Chill), Gary Boyle, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and you'll get some idea where Ford is coming from. Song book accompaniment, fusion chops, Ford is some player. 

Daisy George playing electric bass - what a treat! Hip-hop, funking lines all night long. Jas Kayser - right in the groove. Incidentally, Jas is a Berklee graduate and so is TSF. Small world. Ford introduced two guest vocalists - Simon Junior rapping (at one point three mics failed him), Poppy Ajudha in soul sister mode.  

This Ronnie's live stream was beset with technical glitches as never before. The audio was fine throughout, the picture freeze threatened to be terminal. As and when the audio-visual was restored there was something like a fifteen minute period in which the stream was in near darkness, then, the bright lights of 47 Frith Street shone once more. Tom Seminar-Ford is definitely one to catch live, it'll be an experience.  
Russell
    
Tom Seminar-Ford (guitar, vocals); Robbie Moore (Fender Rhodes); Daisy George (bass); Jas Kayser (drums) + special guests Simon Junior (vocals); Poppy Ajudha (vocals)  
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