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

Friday, August 19, 2022

Jo Harrop and Jamie McCredie @ “Jazz At The Lit And Phil” - August 19

(© Pam)
Jo Harrop (vocals); Jamie McCredie (guitar)

The capacity audience today would, I presume, have been made up of those of us lucky enough to have heard their album Weathering The Storm and those who were coming new to this partnership. The former had their expectations matched (and then some) while the latter were astounded and delighted. As I left CDs were being sold, always a sign of a growing fan base.

Harrop and McCredie are obviously totally confident of each other’s ability and sensibilities. They each have a wealth of experience gathered before they started playing together in this format and that feeds through into their interpretations of some standards. It might  be Lover, the Rodgers and Hart classic, but not as we know it. This vocal  was upbeat to say the least showing the sheer versatility of Jo Harrop’s voice with McCredie producing  yet another stonking solo to match.

(© Pam)
Other songs showed their ability to be understated and laid back. Their music, as one reviewer recently commented, “is shot through with pathos and pain, it could melt the hardest hearts’’. This was demonstrated by them in bucketfuls in In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.

The fact  that McCredie had just flown in from Switzerland overnight and had no sleep was mentioned. If they are that good after a sleepless night and no rehearsal, then we are in for a treat tomorrow when they appear at The  Newcastle Jazz Festival.

(© Pam)
Their programme today was a collection of eleven songs of love and loss and survival  including several from their album including a version of  You Must Believe In Spring that was like being wrapped in silk and given hot chocolate to drink!

This concert was sold out weeks in advance, such is the buzz around this perfect pairing, but tickets are still available to see them at The Newcastle Jazz Festival tomorrow, Crook tonight and/or on November 6 at The Globe. Sylvia

I’ve Got the World on a String;  Corcovado;  No Moon at All;  In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning;  Easy to Love;  Charade;  Early Autumn;  Lover;  You Must Believe in Spring;  Fine and Dandy;  'Round Midnight.
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