Bebop Spoken There

Donovan Haffner ('Best Newcomer' 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards): ''I got into jazz the first time I picked up a saxophone!" - Jazzwise Dec 25/Jan 26

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 09: The House Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 09: Nauta @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Trio: Jacob Egglestone, Jamie Watkins, Bailey Rudd.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Warren James & the Lonesome Travellers @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 09: The Blue Kings @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv.). All-star band.

Sat 10: Mark Toomey Quintet @ St Peter’s Church, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:30pm. £12.00. (inc. pie & peas). Tickets from: 07749 255038.

Sun 11: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

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

Monday, May 02, 2022

Munch Manship Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - May 1

(© Jeff Pritchard)
Munch Manship (tenor sax); Richard Weatherall (piano); Grant Russell (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums).

This was another well attended Sunday evening of modern jazz at the Railway and Munch started the show with the standard East of the Sun making me think of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims who liked to feature this tune during their performances. He followed this with a medium tempo workout on the Tadd Dameron classic Good Bait which had a piano solo from Richard Weatherall that impressed me a lot. Richard always gets a great sound on the house piano and he never fails to deliver the goods.


Grant Russell is one of those bass players who can handle any situation and his high energy style fits in well with the powerful approach of Munch Manship.


Munch has been a prominent figure on the Manchester jazz scene for many years and he shows no sign of slowing down. He selected an interesting bunch of tunes to play tonight which included compositions by Tadd Dameron, Benny Golson, Benny Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Duke Jordan, Hank Mobley, and Johnny Griffin.


It would be difficult to find any extra special highlights tonight as all the numbers sounded great but I must admit to having a preference for hard bop themes such as This I Dig of You and Jordu. These were the last two tunes played and Munch moved into overdrive on these aided by some explosive drumwork by Eryl Roberts.


Another fantastic night at the Railway.  The next jazz night will be Tuesday  May 3 with the Steve Oakes Band featuring Aaron Wood. Mike Farmer

 

East of the Sun; Good Bait; Along Came Betty; The Jamfs Are Coming; Only Trust Your Heart. Up Jumped Spring; Have You Met Miss Jones?; We’ll be Together Again; This I Dig of You; Jordu.

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