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.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Remembering Alex Welsh: Live at Jack's Place - April 28

(Screenshot by Russell)
Jamie Brownfield (trumpet); Andrzej Baranek (piano); Ed Harrison (double bass); Jack Cotterill (drums) 

Week thirteen at Jack Cotterill's place, this evening's live stream featuring the music of Alex Welsh. Initially Facebook played silly beggars resulting in a delay of some fifteen minutes. Host Jack Cotterill put another shilling in the meter and we were in business. New Orleans Masquerade stomped off with Jamie Brownfield firing on all cylinders. No time for inter-song chatter, straight on with a super-swift take on Chinatown, My Chinatown. Yes, things had gotten off to a flyer, as our American cousins might say. 

Brownfield in incendiary form, for sure, yet when the occasion demands he can take it down, our trumpeter doing just that in a duo rendition of Davenport Blues with pianist Andrzej Baranek (Alex Welsh and Fred Hunt!), bassist Ed Harrison leaning on his bull fiddle listening, Cotterill attending to streaming matters. Much of tonight's set drew from Welsh's Classic Concert album (recorded in Dresden in 1971), Maple Leaf Rag one such, typically spirited Dixieland fayre. Next up, Guess the tune, said Cotterill...Oh! Baby, swift as you like. Phew! time to take it down...Solitariness. And up again with Dippermouth Blues. It had been a typical Alex Welsh session! And out on a Basie swinger, Swingin' the Blues.         
Russell

Set list: New Orleans MasqueradeChinatown, My ChinatownSt Louis BluesDavenport BluesMaple Leaf RagOh! BabySolitarinessDippermouth BluesSwingin' the Blues.     

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