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

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).

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Zoë Gilby & Johnny Hunter @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Monday, April 24, 2023

Breaking news - R.I.P. Steve Horowitz

It is with the deepest sadness that I have to report that Steve Horowitz passed away today after a long battle with cancer.

Steve, known to BSH readers as Steve H, contributed many album and gig reviews which were always perceptive and frequently with a humorous sting in the tail.

We shared a love of jazz, not always in total agreement, football, never in total agreement and real ale, always in total agreement!

I will forever be thankful for his contributions to BSH which began in 2013 but, even more so, I will cherish his friendship.

Our condolences go out to Sandra - Sandra and Steve were a lovely couple and so supportive of the music.

The photo shows Steve (right) with bandleader Colin Aitchison when they met up at Ned Kelly's in Hong Kong in 2018.

Very sadly missed. Lance (and all at BSH)

More to follow re funeral etc...

6 comments :

Russell said...

Steve will be sorely missed. We often talked beer, football (Brentford and Newcastle) and jazz, sometimes all at the same time!

JC said...

Very sad to hear the news about Steve.
I used to meet him and Sandra regularly at gigs, particularly at the fondly remembered Splinter sessions at the Bridge, and they were always very welcoming and open to chats about many different topics as well as jazz.
We discovered we were both BSH reviewers when I added a slightly idiosyncratic comment to one of his (as Lance says always interesting) reviews which he took in good spirit. From then on I knew I had found a new friend.

Sincere condolences to Sandra.

JC

Keith Barrett (on F/b) said...

Very sad to hear that. Thanks for the notice

Steve T said...

Such sad news. I saw him at the Ant Law/ Hitchcock gig at the Bridge where he told me what was going on with him but I had no idea his time remaining was to be so short. We didn't always agree on music either but I recognised his passion and I felt a particular affinity with him since he was the reason Lance re-christened me Steve T. As has been said, a lovely couple and Newcastle Jazz will miss him very much.

Ann Alex said...

It's always sad when one of the writing team leaves us. Happy memories.

Ken Drew said...


Very sad to hear the news about Steve. He'll always be remembered through meeting him at many Jazz gigs around Newcastle, and his BSH contributions too. Sincere condolences to Sandra and family.

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