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.

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Sunday night @ the Globe: Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat

(Photo by Lance)
Emma Johnson (tenor sax); Richard Jones (piano); Fergus Vickers (guitar); Angus Milne (bass); Steve Hanley (drums)

Based around, but not exclusively, Gravy Boat's latest album - Worry Not. The theme of the album  is based on stress and worry and overcoming them which, for many  myself included, is a much needed therapy (don't ask!) after this stormy weekend's devastation and with another hidden enemy on the horizon.

Well it certainly worked for me. Emma's lovely tenor sound complemented beautifully by the other four. The tone, the phrasing, the ideas, I found suggestive of early Blue Note but air-lifted in to the 21st century.

(Collage © Ken Drew)
The emotive approach by all five on the title track of the album sent shivers down my spine - a special moment.

But maybe I shouldn't highlight one number, they all had special moments. Jones' piano solos, Vickers' guitar, Milne's bass and Hanley's drums along with the leader's tenor made this one session where I wanted to be sitting at a front row table with a bottle of Wainwright's rather than watching it at home with a cup of coffee.

I'm not sure if they played the complete album but the titles I caught were: Hold me Tight; Setting Sail; Waterlogged; Worry Not and Sun Stones. Numbers not from the album included Pelican and Candle Wax.

Another enjoyable Sunday Night @ the Globe, this time a co-promotion between the Jazz Co-op and Jazz North East - Lance

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