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

18361 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 215 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 8 ), 25

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 13: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00.
Fri 13: The SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Soothsayers + Rookie Numbers @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.

Sat 14: The Too Bad Jims @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. R&B.
Sat 14: NUJO @ Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. Time TBC. £15.00. supporter; £10.00. standard; £5.00. student. Seated event.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: The Too Bad Jims @ The Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £12.00. R&B.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Rebecca Poole @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Poole w. Dean Stockdale & Ken Marley. CANCELLED!

Mon 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Scotty Adair (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: The ’58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club, West Park, 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 18: Brand New Heavies @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Sunday, July 03, 2022

The House of the Black Gardenia @ The Blues, Jazz & Swing Festival. The Exchange, North Shields - July 2

(© The Exchange)
Elise Rana (vocals/washboard); Graham Hardy (trumpet); David Gray (trombone); Jim McBriarty (tenor, alto sax/clarinet); Katja Roberts (violin); Elliott Rush (piano); Michael Littlefield (guitar/ banjo/vocals); Neil Hopper (bass/sousaphone); Kit Haigh (drums).

King Bees pulled out at the eleventh hour so in stepped the House of the Black Gardenia who themselves had to shuffle the pack with Hardy and McBriarty occupying the trumpet and sax chairs. Rana, after apologising for King Bees' absence, announced that they did have in actual fact two members of KB in the band. Littlefield we knew was one but who was the other. By a process of elimination, I presume that either Rush or Haigh weren't there. Help please.*

The evening began with a taster session by Swing Tyne for wannabe swing dancers and I was impressed at how quickly most of them picked it up - I should have taken part myself!

(© The Exchange)

The band stuck to their tried and tested formula with vocals from Rana and Littlefield and 'hot' solos from the horns. On Viper Mad McBriarty's fine clarinet solo laid down the benchmark and it was as high I would expect given the tune's title. Trumpet and trombone were up to the mark as they inevitably always are. 

After Double Rations Littlefield sang I Can't Take it no Longer adding some bluesy guitar for good measure. Sorry You're Gone had Rana on washboard and a solid sousa solo from Hopper.

And so it continued with I See the Light (J.McB on tenor); Handy Man (ML vocal) and finishing off with One in a Million and Ghosts. Excellent!

(© The Exchange)
Earlier, I enjoyed seeing the film Geordie Jazz Man once again. It always raises a laugh and a tear when I remember the legend that was Keith Crombie.

Before that there were several blues/soul bands with the most impressive one being The Commandments who were well committed to the idiom.

The Festival concludes this afternoon with Ruth Lambert & Martin Craggs (1:30); Abbie Finn Trio (3:00); Wild Women of Wylam (4:30); 4B (5:30); Jazz Jam (6:30).

The above times are flexible so get there well in advance! Lance

*The smart money is on it being Giles Holt on drums in place of Haigh.

No comments :

Blog Archive