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, February 06, 2022

Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar - Feb. 6

(Pic by Russell)
Charles 'Chuck' Dearness (trumpet); Stephen Priest (clarinet, tenor sax); Paddy Darley (trombone); John Youngs (banjo, vocals); Rory Clark (sousaphone)

The Edinburgh specialists in the earlier forms of jazz made another welcome appearance in the region. Three gigs in two days - a couple in Darlo and one at, given their musical leanings, the appropriately named Prohibition Bar in Newcastle. All that was missing was the crystal chandelier, the bathtub gin and the Chicago Typewriters.

Everything else was in  place - the stomps, the rags and the swing dancers whose lindy hopping skills even drew applause from the band!

As bands of this nature go, if indeed there are any bands of this nature going then this is as good as it gets.

They're all fine soloists within the idiom but their strength lies in the collective sound they get. They swing like crazy without a drummer, Youngs vocals get across without a mic and, above all, they're selling jazz without selling out whilst, at the same time, providing entertainment which, at the end of the day is what it's all about - the Hokey Cokey not withstanding.

Catch them next time they cross Hadrian's Wall - Lance

Dusty Rag; Snake Rag; Out of Nowhere; Minstrel Man; South; Kinklets; Humming to Myself; Milenberg Joys; Bogalusa Strut; Copenhagen; She's Cryin' For Me; Stockyard Strut; Barataria; Meat on the Table; Chocolate Avenue; Till We Meet Again; The Old Rugged Cross

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