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.

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).

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

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Album review: Georgia Cécile - Only the Lover Sings

Only the Lover Sings is Georgia Cécile's stunning debut album. Ten tracks composed with songwriting partner Euan Stevenson, the recording features her stellar trio - pianist Stevenson, bassist Mario Caribé and drummer Max Popp - augmented by four SNJO stalwarts - Ryan Quigley (trumpet), Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor sax), Michael Owers and Chris Grieve (trombones) - and an ace string quartet led by violinist Seonaid Aitken featuring Kirsty Orton (second violin), Patsy Reid (viola) and Alice Allen (cello). 

Cécile's album has been long in the making (the production values are second to none) but now it's here. Each song sounds familiar, some owing something to the best songwriters of our times, some possessing a filmic quality, all, one way or another, influenced, or inspired, by the Great American Songbook. Come Summertime is set to become a standard, Harpoon is likely to be Cécile's showstopper for the foreseeable future, and Blue is Just a Colour is the one to show off the ensemble's jazz chops - soulful with a hip-hop groove, the rapid-fire horns ultimately taken down by Stevenson at the (B3?) organ. 

Only the Lover Sings is available here. Highly recommended - Russell
              
Georgia Cécile (vocals); Euan Stevenson (piano, organ); Mario Caribé (double bass); Max Popp (drums, percussion); Ryan Quigley (trumpet); Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor sax); Michael Owers (trombone, bass trombone); Chris Grieve (trombone); Seonaid Aitken (violin); Kirsty Orton (violin); Patsy Reid (viola); Alice Allen (cello)   

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