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

18402 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 31 ), 76

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

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.

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). Free. Chicago blues.

Sat 04: Jake Leg Jug Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Anthropology. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £10.00.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free Quintet + guest Neil Brodie (trumpet).
Sun 05: Mark Williams & Tom Remon @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Jazzmain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Friday, March 05, 2021

Rico's Popup Louis approaches its first anniversary! - Mar. 5

Rico Tomasso (trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals); Joe Webb (piano)

Rico began this week's Popup Louis with a few words about the death earlier this week of Chris Barber.  Time to introduce this evening's guest, pianist Joe Webb. And it was down to Joe to count off the opening number. At its conclusion Rico conceded it had been taken at quite a tempo! Slowing things down a touch, Joe swung Just Squeeze Me as Rico deployed what he described as his Louis-style plunger 'assemblage', taking a vocal chorus for good measure. 

One from Armstrong's Oscar Peterson session, Let's Fall in Love, with, as Rico flagged, a nice intro from Joe. And so it was, Oscar P with a little bit of Erroll Garner's instantly recognisable style. A great player is Joe. Rico spoke once again, this time at length, about Chris Barber, recalling a few deps he did when Pat Halcox wasn't available, and of his days on the road as part of Acker Bilk's band in the hugely popular Barber, Bilk and Ball touring show. To remember Barber, indeed all three bandleaders, Rico (and Joe) dedicated When I Grow to Old to Dream to the Three Bs. 

Time for Rico to pick up his flugelhorn to play Let's Fall in Love, sticking with the more mellow horn for Benny Carter's When Lights Are Low (composed with Spencer Williams way back in 1936). Louis and Ella, Stars Fall on Alabama, Rico on flugelhorn and vocals.  

Turning to Benny G, Rico thought it an idea to play something from the King of Swing's big band days, Don't Be That Way, Joe taking an old school saloon bar 'you hum it son' solo, Rico digging it, in return replying with a tremendous solo of his own. Louis and Ella, Stars Fell on Alabama, Rico again on flugelhorn, taking a vocal with perhaps a hint of Teagarden in there with the Louis vocal. Time to go with I Know That You Know.    

Next week Rico has a gig! Up in Scotland, no less. So, our man is giving himself the week off from the world of the live stream. The following week (March 12) Rico returns, working in the company of guitarist Simon Picton. 

Russell

Set list: Just You, Just Me; Just Squeeze Me; Let's Fall in Love; When I Grow to Old to Dream; Don't Be That Way; When Lights Are Low; Stars Fell on Alabama; I Know That You Know

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