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

From This Moment On

March

Mon 30: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 30: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 31: Bede Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Albert Hills Wright (alto sax); Finn Carter (piano); Michael Dunlop (double bass).

April

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Musicians playing classical & orchestral music.
Thu 02: The Noel Dennis Band @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £10.84. Quartet plus special guest Zoë Gilby. Over 21s only.
Thu 02: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 02: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00. adv..
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Friday, February 12, 2021

Album review: Arthur Hnatek Trio - Static

Arthur Hnatek (drums); Francesco Geminiani (tenor sax); Fabien Lannone (bass).

Zurich based Hnatek is described as one of a new breed who see their music as a continuum stretching between genres, always thinking in terms of links rather than boundaries, possibilities rather than limits.

These ideals were nurtured during stints with similar minded forward thinkers such as Tigran Hamasyan and Shai Maestro who opened his ears to the possibilities of rhythmic variations the result of which led to this, his first trio record as leader.

Those of you, which hopefully means all of you, who are familiar with the tenor/bass/drums recordings of Sonny Rollins or Joshua Redman may be excused for expecting something similar on this Whirlwind recording. Nothing could be more different . The Hot Five records are closer to Rollins and Redman than this!

Not that there isn't much to like about. It took me several listenings to hook into it. In a way it's like learning a new language - you don't pick up Russian in a day. However, perseverance is its own reward and I persevered to the extent that I was able to find ephemeral moments of beauty albeit often well hidden. Invariably they come from Geminiani who occasionally surfaces above his surrounds to blow a well-constructed solo - he probably got fined for it.

Definitely one for our more forward looking readers. Have a listen here.
Lance

Available on Whirlwind Recordings WR4770.

Monotonous; 27; Brew; MIDI Sans Frontieres; Nine B; In Three; Static; Cinque; The End.

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