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, February 17, 2023

Georgia Cécile & Fraser Urquhart @ the Lit & Phil - Feb. 17

(© Patti Durham)
Georgia Cécile (vocals); Fraser Urquhart (piano).

Storm Otto certainly made some roofs staccato (ref Ellington number Riff Staccato) but it stopped only but a few braving it to the monthly JATLP session and, whilst it may have torn down a few trees and incapacitated Whitley Bay Metro Station it did enable those who hadn't pre-booked to snap up the seats of those who had stayed at home wondering where their conservatory had gone .

Indeed, those who weren't bemoaning their loss of the house next door were soon sitting and singing a bebop version of Why Are We Waiting? They weren't actually but it must have been in their minds when the word got around that the star attractions were still on an express train that, because of the storm, was going no faster than the service in an all-night Tesco Express.

However, All's Well That Ends Well as an olde blogger once wrote and the show got underway only marginally late.

From the start it soon became aware that this was worth waiting for. This was a class act and the Jazz FM Awards, sold out shows at Ronnie's and other accolades were well deserved.

And yet...

Something didn't quite gel with me but, perhaps because of Storm Otto (I get the blame for everything - Otto) there wasn't time for a soundcheck which to those of us sitting stage left presented a few audio problems. Then again, maybe I shouldn't have skipped that hearing test.

Still, it was a most enjoyable afternoon and Georgia held most of the audience captivated as I was too when she weaved her sensuous lines around some beautiful standards to the extent that, if I'd been younger and she'd been older, then we'd fly down to Reno and then, when she moved from Shirley Horn mood to Shirley Bassey mood, we'd be back again for the divorce!

All joking of course it was a great gig and my reservations were few judging by the applause. JATLP is the best monthly gig in town on a Friday afternoon.

Oh and, by the way, Fraser's piano playing was superb. He's worthy of a gig on his own. Lance

Hearts Full of Spring; Take Love Easy; I'm Afraid; Where or When; Someone to Watch Over me; Soon; Crazy he Calls me; Lucky to be me; Mam'selle; Too Marvelous for Words; What'll I do?; If I Had You; Harpoon to the Heart; Take it With me.  

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