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

18395 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 259 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 30 ), 69

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

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.

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.

Monday, January 23, 2023

Sunday Night @ the Globe: the Gerry Richardson Quartet - Jan. 22

Gerry Richardson (organ, vocals); Garry Linsley (alto sax); Rod Sinclair (guitar); Paul Smith (drums)

The room was crowded, lots of unfamiliar faces, all enjoying the mix of jazz, funk, blues, soul and seventeenth century poetry. Yes, a protest poem from the seventeenth century that is no less meaningful today. Take the opening lines: The law locks up the man or woman who steals the goose from off the common but leaves the greater felon loose who steals the common from the goose

Gerry took those words, presumably now out of copyright, composed a melody added some harmony to provide something new to his familiar programme. The title, also came from one of the lines of the poem - Same Old Story.

The band were in overdrive throughout. Close your eyes and you were in Detroit, Philly, downtown Baltimore or the east side of Chicago as opposed to the west side of Newcastle.

Brother Richardson is as good as any UK organist and better than most. He gets sounds from the Crumar Mojo keyboard that Mr Hammond and his B3 would be proud of.

Linsley, Sinclair and Smith can hold their head high in any company and, as a unit, they gel.

The two sets overran the normal Sunday night gig duration by many minutes which meant leaving before the end. No reflection on the music but I had to catch the number 27 Greyhound bus to Kansas City. Lance

Everybody's Crying Mercy; Mercy, Mercy me; Money's Getting Cheaper; African Sunset; Same Old Story; All About McGriff; Lady Day and John Coltrane; Alligator Boogaloo; Sunny; Mercy, Mercy, Mercy; Soul Shadows; Memphis Underground; May You Never Lay Your Head Down; I Put a Spell on You; Back in the Chicken Shack; The Stumble.

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