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.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

T-A-B @ The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle - August 30

Tom Atkinson (guitar, vocals); Jack Courtney (trumpet, flugelhorn); Sue Ferris (tenor sax, alto sax, flute); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums) + Russ Tippins (guitar)

Billed as music by King Crimson, John McLaughlin etc, it was that, and more, much more. Tom Atkinson's band of rockers and jazzers is an occasional get together and when they do meet up it's a blast! Atkinson doesn't say much, he lets his guitar - and his band - do the talking for him. From King Crimson - was it Starless? - to a set-closing classic (more King Crimson), this Bridge Hotel gig was a high-octane, rockin' night out.

Jazz, funk, rock, Atkinson alluded to the unlikely juxtaposition of Terence Callier (Lazarus Man) to the jazz fusion of Billy Cobham (Atkinson as Tommy Bolin), saying to band and audience: Here we go. Known primarily as a rock guitarist, make no mistake, Atkinson knows more than a few 'jazz' chords. The bandleader's fellow soloists - Sue Ferris in blistering form, Jack Courtney's hugely impressive bebop chops at volume - stood toe-to-toe with Atkinson. The band's rhythm section - five-string funk-meister bassist Deon Krishnan and powerhouse drummer Jeff Armstrong - more than held it down. As a unit, Atkinson and co make one helluva noise!  

T-A-B (that's the Atkinson band's promotional moniker) welcomed friend, guitarist Russ Tippins, to join them on one number - Atkinson on electric, Tippins acoustic. Some of the numbers on the set list were rehearsed twenty four hours earlier. The set closer - 21st Century Schizoid Man - wasn't. Atkinson trusted his band to sight-read their parts. Amazingly, they did just that. Impressive? You bet! T-A-B returns to the Bridge Hotel this evening (Wednesday 31 August) to play Miles Davis' Jack Johnson (at volume!). Eight o'clock, a fiver at the door. Russell         
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2 comments :

Patti Durham (on F/b) said...

This was the funkiest of wild and crazy nights in that upstairs function room - what a blast it was indeed! Now for tonight's gig!

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 5:11:00 pm
Ericka said...

This is the first time I have heard such amazing creations of my own! They have simply been exceptional pieces. And the performance of each of the musicians has left me wanting to see and hear them again. Thank you for contributing to music in this way.

Saturday, September 03, 2022 1:17:00 am

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