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.

Friday, June 23, 2023

Preview: Baluji Shrivastav OBE and Jazz Orient @ the Customs House, South Shields - Sunday June 25 (7:30pm)


(Press release): 

“Jazz Orient…produce fireworks!” Songlines.

 “A veritable feast of sounds…gorgeous melodies throughout. Lovely stuff.” L.A. Daily News.

Jazz Orient are Baluji Shrivastav OBE (sitar, vocals), Linda Shanovitch (vocals, percussion), Alex Hill (keyboards) and Sukhdeep Dhanjal (tabla) who celebrate Jazz, Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Indian music, creating a kaleidoscope of rhythms and melodies with intricate patterns of percussive footwork and graceful movements from Indian dance. With six albums so far and several tours, guest artists include Fiaz Khan, Guy Barker, Andy Sheppard, Hossam Ramzy, Sakari Kukku, Talvin Singh, Mike Parker, Gerry Hunt, Andy Platt, and Eric Junkes. With a dazzling array of instruments and full of surprises, music from Jazz Orient is for the heart, mind and soul.

For Baluji Shrivastav to be such an accomplished and respected musician is a minor miracle. Blinded as a child, Baluji was not afforded the privileges of the guru-shishya (master-disciple) system by which most Indian musicians inherit their knowledge, as his blindness prevented him from carrying out certain duties upon which the system is based. Instead Baluji is largely self-taught, excelling in sitar, surbahar, dilruba, pakhavaj and tabla, but possessing a seemingly innate ability to play almost any instrument. His skill, as well as his versatility, is what makes Baluji shine as a musician; peerless and prodigious.

Baluji has released several albums of Indian classical music and Indian world music fusion, and has accompanied such major stars as Coldplay, Massive Attack, Annie Lennox and Noel Gallagher. Tickets from £12.00 BOOK NOW

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