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

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.

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.

Monday, June 06, 2022

Foundry Jazz Ensemble @ The Exchange, North Shields - June 5

Bernie Ranson (tenor/alto sax/vocals); Jude Murphy (double bass/vocals); Barbara Wilcox (keys/vocals); Jamie Mackay (guitar); Alan Wann (drums)

The word is getting out and nearly all tables were taken when the band arrived for their usual Sunday afternoon gig at The Exchange in North Shields. The audience was a mixture of regulars  together with those who had enjoyed a Jubilee lunch and stayed on for the jazz.

The two hour set was made up of the Great American Songbook, straight ahead jazz and some good old crowd pleasers. Jude sang Georgia on my Mind, Cry me a River, and Summertime to loud applause (those who are not fans of scat should listen to Ms Murphy - bliss!)

Barbara took her turn and sang Beyond the Sea while Bernie followed with I Thought About You and then a version of The Girl From Ipanema with Bernie and Jude duetting. Jude sang the lyrics in Portuguese and from Bernie a verse with new words relating to his dog - Finn…(each one she passes goes woof!…really?…I wonder what Jobim would have made of that?  But the crowd loved it!)

Everyone took solos. There are no passengers in this band but memorable were Bernie’s melancholy tenor on Cry me a River and Jamie’s beautiful take on Corcovado.

All in all a lovely way to end a Bank Holiday weekend and thanks to The Exchange for the distribution of cakes and sandwiches left over from their Jubilee lunch. Jazz and a Bakewell tart - what else does a girl need?

The Foundry Jazz  Ensemble can  be heard at The Exchange each Sunday from 3pm and four fifths of the band entertain there each Wednesday evening at 7 pm.

The set also included amongst others: I Can’t Get Started; Twisted; Yardbird Suite; Stella by Starlight; Ladybird; My Little Suede Shoes and Too Young to go Steady.

Sylvia T

P.s.  Heads up for the first weekend in July when The Exchange will be hosting a weekend of music which includes The Abbie Finn Trio and Panharmonia together with a showing of the film Geordie Jazz Man together with a programme of swing and blues music….details to follow.

No comments :

Blog Archive