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.
Thu 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. 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).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: The ’58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club, West Park, 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 18: Brand New Heavies @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, 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

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Sunday Night @ the Globe: Abbie Finn Finntet - livestream April 18

(Screenshot by Lance)
Abbie Finn (drums); Graham Hardy (trumpet); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Paul Grainger (bass).

A cracking session, very much in the Jazz Messengers' mode which is not surprising as that band provided the template for the many hard bop bands that followed. The EmCee 5 was one north east band who took up the baton. Another was Don Forbes's Safe Sextet, one of several others who carried it for a while and now it's in the very capable hands of the Abbie Finn Finntet.

(Screenshot by Lance)
Ellis Marsalis' Swinging at the Haven got things moving and it soon became clear that, although they'd only had one previous gig, back in healthier times, they were up for it and weren't taking any prisoners. Chick Corea's Armando's Rhumba followed in a nice Latin groove without losing the jazz feel.

Bobby Timmon's Dat Dere is often a vocal but it sounds even better without the silly words.

(Screenshot by Lance)
Next up, a touch of nostalgia for those of us of a certain age. Tubby Hayes' Dear John B which Tubbs composed after drummer Johnny Butts was killed in a road accident at the tragically early age of 25. Butts is well remembered in the north east as drummer with the EmCee 5 and also with Don Smith at the Oxford Galleries. It's fitting that his name lives on thanks to this Tubby Hayes composition.
(Screenshot by Lance)

A couple of originals: Step Five by Graham Hardy and Walkabout by Abbie herself. Both excellent. 

Hank Mobley's This I Dig of You and Wayne Shorter's Lester Left Town brought the show to a close. 

This is a band that I can't wait to see and hear again - hopefully in a live situation. Lance.

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