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, June 05, 2023

Munch Manship Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - June 4

(© Jeff Pritchard)
Munch Manship (tenor sax); Paul Kilvington (keys); Dave Lynane (bass); Dave Hassell (drums).

There were plenty of standards played tonight including two by Jerome Kern, one by Brooks Bowman, Harold Arlen, Dave Brubeck, Richard Rodgers, and Sigmund Romberg. There were also originals such as Johnny Griffin’s The Jamfs are Coming and Hank Mobley’s This I Dig Of You, the latter tune given an up tempo workout which had all four musicians pulling the stops out in a rousing finale.

Munch decided not to play flute tonight, maybe because there were occasions when some of the audience were a bit too noisy, but that meant we got to hear more of his outstanding tenor solos. Most of the numbers have been played many times here at the Railway but one tune that I have not heard anyone play before was Last Night When We Were Young an interesting song composed by Harold Arlen in 1935 and which was featured in Frank Sinatra‘s recording In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning. Arlen is quoted as saying that this tune was the favourite of all of his songs.     


This quartet has worked together on countless gigs and the empathy was evident. I enjoyed the rapport that Munch developed with keyboard player Paul Kilvington,  especially on Autumn Leaves which had some creative interplay happening. The two Daves did a first class job on bass and drums and it proved to me that the older some musicians get the better they sound.


The next jazz gig at the Railway is on Tues June 6 with the Ed Kainyek Quartet;  There is also, on Thursday June 8, an exhibition (6:00pm to 9:00pm) of Paddy O’Donnell's prints, films and drawings all inspired by live jazz at the Railway. Mike Farmer

 

I’m Old Fashioned; In Your Own Sweet Way; The Jamfs Are Coming; The Drum; I've Told Ev’ry Little Star; Softly as in a Morning Sunrise; East of the Sun; Last Night When We Were Young; Autumn Leaves; Have You Met Miss Jones?; This I Dig of You.

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