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.

Tuesday, July 05, 2022

Album review: Joe Stilgoe - Theatre

Joe Stilgoe (vocals/piano); Tom Richards (sop sax/conductor); The Metropole Orkest and various guests.

Given his family's theatrical background it's no surprise that Joe Stilgoe is equally devoted to the world of greasepaint as he is to jazz. In Theatre he pays tribute to the tradition - not just to the  songs and the shows but the audience, the sellers of programmes and ice cream, in other words, the complete package.

Not an out and out jazz album which, of course, it wasn't intended to be. However, Joe Stilgoe, like Sinatra was, is never too far from the idiom and the backing by the Metropole Orkest from The Netherlands has most certainly a few Flying Dutchmen buried in its ranks. Perhaps the key to the successful merging of the genres is in the orchestrations by Tom Richards, Callum Au, Evan Jolly and Andrew Cottee - Nelson Riddle lives!

If you're a jazz and a theatre fan this is for you. Conversely, if you've never been on either side of the footlights it is also for you, perhaps even more so, luring you into a wonderful world of make-believe - Lance.

MORE INFO

Theatreland; Take Me Back To The Theatre; Cabaret; Lost In The Stars; Does Anybody Have A Map?; On Broadway; Mr Matcham; The King’s New Clothes; Gonna Build A Mountain; No More/Nothing’s Gonna Harm You/Children Will Listen; Bring Down The Curtain; Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats.

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