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.

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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