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.

Thursday, September 01, 2022

Single review: Slowlight Quartet - Full Beam, Alan

Paul Loraine (keys); Ian ‘Dodge’ Paterson (bass); Tom Quilliam (tenor/soprano saxes); John Hirst (drums).

It's hard to believe that seven years have passed since the Slowlight Quartet were enhancing the local scene. Jazz club gigs a-plenty and, thanks to being chosen by Jazz North as part of their Northern Line promotional scheme, gigs further afield including Manchester Jazz Festival.

Then, even before Covid, they broke up due, mainly to individuals relocating elsewhere. Fortunately, thanks to the advent of Zoom technology, even during the darkest days of lockdown, they reconnected and made plans.

The band, now with Berklee graduate John Hirst on drums, moved forward with this, the first of two singles, serving as an appetiser for an album to be recorded in February 2023.

It's a contemporary synth-bass driven groove (their words) fusion/jazz rock sound that heads towards the outside but doesn't cross the bounds of sensibility. It does just enough to point in the direction of what to expect come February.

In the meantime, the first single which is due out on Sept. 30 on the ever evolving JAZZ SOUND RECORDS label serves to whet your appetite for the whole nine yards - Lance

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