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

Monday, August 29, 2022

A library list.

My first encounter with British jazz in book form, was Humphrey Lyttelton's I Play as I Please. Now, a lifetime later, I'm reading it again. Following on from Simon Spillett's masterful work on the life of Tubby Hayes - The Long Shadow of the Little Giant - it occured to me that, between these two extremes, the need is there for an all encompassing record of jazz in Britain.

I know there have been several previous attempts and, although BSH and LJN have been frontrunners in attempting to do this online, I can't think of an actual coffee table tome that has yet to become the definitive work. Perhaps, given the enormity of the subject, we need sturdier coffee tables.

So, with apologies for the omissions, of which I am sure there are plenty, I suggest that the following, given in no particular order and selected from my own library, could be, as of today at 8:00pm, the definitive British jazz bibliography. I'm aware this is but the tip of the iceberg and although I've included regional items - Newcastle, Birmingham, York and Manchester - I'm sure there are many more parochial writings out there, perhaps gathering dust in some village library. Lance

Humphrey Lyttelton: I Play as I Please.

George Melly: Owning Up.

Billy Amstell: Don't Fuss Mister Ambrose.

Vic Ash: I Blew it My Way.

Vic Lewis: All This and Maiden Overs.

Kenny Ball: Blowing my Own Trumpet.

Eddie Sammons: The Magnificent Eric Delaney.

Ted Heath: Listen to my Music.

Alan Robertson: Joe Harriott - Fire in His Soul.

Nat Gonella: Georgia on my Mind.

Harry Gold: Doubloons & Pieces of Eight.

Bruce Turner: Hot Air: Cool Music.

Dick Heckstall-Smith: Safest Place in the World.

Simon Spillett: The Long Shadow of the Little Giant.

Ronnie Scott: Some of my Best Friends Are the Blues.

Jim Simpson: Don't Worry 'Bout The Bear.

Chris Yates: Blue Horizons.

Eric Burdon: I Used to be an Animal But I'm All Right Now.

Graham Collier: Cleo and John.

Jim Godbolt: All This and 10%.

Peter King: Flying High.

Van Wilson: Rhythm and Romance.

Andrew Willox & Eileen Mann: I think we have a find.

Bill Birch: Keeper of the Flame (included upon hearsay).

at

1 comment :

Harry said...

Hi Lance,

just a couple of books published by Equinox Publishing - An Unholy Row Jazz in Bitain and its audience 1945-60 by Dave Gelly and Trad Dads, Dirty Boppers and Free Fusioneers
British Jazz, 1960-1975 by Duncan Heining. Equinox have also published a number of books on various British jazz musicians - Tubby Hayes, Chris Barber, Graham Collier, Ian Carr and Stan Tracey. All edited and Chris Barber's and Ian Carr's biographies written by Alyn Shipton.

Best regards

Harry

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 6:22:00 am

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