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

18402 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 31 ), 76

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

April

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.

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). Free. Chicago blues.

Sat 04: Jake Leg Jug Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Anthropology. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £10.00.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free Quintet + guest Neil Brodie (trumpet).
Sun 05: Mark Williams & Tom Remon @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Jazzmain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Zoë Gilby & Johnny Hunter @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Sunday, April 24, 2022

The Doris Day Story @ The Customs House, South Shields - April 23

This Theatre Productions Europe show finally arrived on South Tyneside following pandemic-enforced postponement. Que Sera Sera, as the song goes. Curtain up on an early evening start - six o'clock - caught out few, if any, in the near-capacity auditorium. The Doris Day Story is touring provincial theatres with the publicity tag: With video production, a swinging jazz band and impeccable vocals...*

Curtain up, Doris May Anne Kappelhoff on stage. Over the course of two hours we would witness the transformation of the young Ms Kappelhoff into the Hollywood icon Doris Day, en route documenting Doris' four marriages, the birth and death of her son, Terry Melcher, the violence meted out by more than one husband and financial ruin. Laura D'Arcy, as Doris, graced the stage for almost the entire time, no mean achievement considering the production's extensive dialogue and, of course, the many songs. Yes, every number had many members of the audience singing along. 

The vocal numbers offered light relief to the sometimes difficult subject matter of Doris Day's less than idyllic personal life. The callous treatment of Day the Hollywood star at the hands of more than one husband drove the narrative. We saw Day, full of self-doubt, we saw Day the indomitable woman in a so-called 'man's world'. Ultimately, it seems Doris Day found peace, in her later years devoting her time to caring for animals. 

Doris Day didn't quite make it to one hundred, dying at the age of ninety seven. Doris Day the Hollywood singing legend lives on. For those with a Secret Love of Doris Day, The Doris Day Story is worth catching. 

* The video element was absent from the show, as were the advertised tap dancing routines. Russell                  

The cast: Laura D'Arcy as Doris Day; Michael Cuckson as Barney Rapp/Doris' doctor/Barry Comden (Doris' 4th husband); Madeleine Hegarty as Alma Kappelhoff (Doris' mother)/Doris' therapist; Peter Stone as Marty Melcher (Doris'  3rd husband/manager); Matt Colyer as Al Jorden (Doris' 1st husband)/Terry Melcher (Doris' son) + Lavie Rabinowitz (MD & pianist); Michael Cuckson (double bass); Peter Stone (double bass); ? (drums) 
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