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, August 04, 2021

Steve Oakes Quartet plus Ray Butcher @ the Railway, Stockport -August 3

Steve Oakes (guitar); Ed Kainyek (tenor sax); Ray Butcher (trumpet, flugel); Grant Russell (bass); Tim Franks (drums)

Steve Oakes, an interesting guitarist living in Northwich, Cheshire, is well known to north-west jazz fans.

Tonight Steve’s selection of tunes included three standards plus themes written by Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, John Schofield Abdullah Ibrahim, and Sonny Rollins all played brilliantly by a band that knew what it – modern jazz – is all about. 


Guest trumpet player Ray Butcher impressed me with his big brassy sound and put me in mind of a trumpeter who used to be on some of Coltrane’s Prestige albums, Idrees Sulieman.  Tim Franks was taking care of things on drums and Grant Russell played some powerful solos on his triangular-shaped bass.

It was good to see Ed Kainyek in the line-up as I’d heard it on the grapevine – as one does - that he had moved to Leeds but, here he was blowing up a storm with that huge sound of his.  No mics were used on the gig and they were not needed as on some of the tunes, even unmiked, the sound was a bit too loud at times.   

Steve likes to bring along a box of effects but, thankfully. he has the good taste to not over use them           

The next gig at the Railway is Sunday August 8 with guitarist Glen Cartledge’s Quartet. Mike Farmer.

Au Privave; Red Clay; Alone Together; Winelight; Nature Boy; The Water is Wide; Keep Me In Mind; Spain; My Foolish Heart; Oleo.

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