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, May 28, 2021

Album review: Fapy Lafertin New Quartet - Atlântico

Fapy Lafertin (guitar/guitarra Portuguaise); Alexandre Tripodi (violin); Cédric Raymond (bass); Renaud Dardenne (guitar).

I first heard Lafertin at the Breda Oude Stijl Jazz Festival back in 1981 where he was playing with Waso, a Belgium gypsy hot club ensemble. I was knocked out! Although I knew the music from the Django/Grappelli records this was the first time I'd witnessed that style live and I've been a fan ever since.

The music here isn't pure hot club but it's still 100% Romany and surely a delight for anyone who plays or loves the distinctive sound of a Macca or even the rarely heard (in jazz circles) 12 string Portuguese guitarra. However, for those who, like myself  go for the swingers, there's plenty of that here too with Tripodi in fine Stephanic form and the leader proving he hasn't lost any of his dexterity since those heady Breda days of 40 years ago.

Although recorded in 2017, there is a sort of pre-war feeling of decadence about it that, far from detracting, adds to the charm of a once bygone era that somehow, given the number of bands mining a similar vein today, still sounds totally relevant. Lance.

Bandcamp.

Torontoi emlek; La belle vie; My romance; Vibracoes; The Baltic; Turn; Cinzano; Fantaisie en sol; It's alright with me; Pixinguinha em lisboa; Japanese sandman; Platcherida; Carnation (titles as they are printed on the album, albeit not elsewhere!).

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