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, September 20, 2022

Brigitte Beraha’s Lucid Dreamers @ The Globe September 18

(© Ken Drew)
Brigitte Beraha (voice, electronics); George Crowley (reeds. electronics); Alcyona Mick (piano, synths); Tim Giles (drums, electronics)

Showcasing the band’s second album  Blink - which couldn’t be a more appropriate name as the hallucinatory soundscape Lucid Dreamers   produced certainly induced a blissful dreamlike state into many of the audience.


Brigitte Beraha’s coupling of superb  voice with electronic activity board created a wonderful and absorbing tapestry aided and abetted by a seriously good band. George Crowley is currently one of the country’s leading saxophone players and everything he touched on Sunday turned to gold.


(© Ken Drew)
Alcyona Mick was subtle and reserved throughout the evening adding nuance and effect wherever her hands landed on the keyboard. However, on the final piece of the evening she unleashed a fevered solo which drew a round of applause which you rarely get within this form of music. The highlight of the evening for myself had to be the drum solo in each set by Tim Giles  - unflashy but deep and seductive a joy to experience.  

The rare use of the more intimate upstairs room at the Globe seemed to further increase the ambiance of this excellent and highly enjoyable gig. Steve H

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