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, September 29, 2021

Paul Hartley Quartet @ The Railway, Stockport - Sept. 28

Paul Hartley (guitar); Phil Nicholas (trumpet); Ken Marley (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums).

Thankfully the torrential rain that this area experienced had stopped and quite a few jazz fans turned up at the Railway to hear Phil Nicholas, a fine trumpeter who north east residents may have seen at Sage Gateshead playing with Nearly Dan. He has a nice sound and right from the opening number, Clifford Brown's Sandu, he established his bebop credentials.


The bass player, my old friend Ken Marley who lives close by in Woodley, Stockport, told me he had been playing in the Scarborough Jazz Festival recently with Zoë Gilby - a singer who I see mentioned many times on BSH. He introduced a tune he had written called Monkfish which the band had not seen before and they sight read it perfectly.  


Eryl Roberts has shown himself to be the ideal drummer for this sort of gig and now live gigs are returning I can see him being much in demand. Looking at the list of tunes selected I liked them all but I would pick out You’re My Everything as a  great rendition by a trumpeter worth watching.      

Next gig at the Railway is by guitarist Trefor Owen's Quartet  - Oct. 3 @ 9:00pm - Mike Farmer.


Sandu; Up Jumped Spring; Groovin’ High; Monkfish; Where or When; My Apology Waltz; Terrestris; Sippin’ at Bells; You’re My Everything. Moon Alley, Little Dancer.

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