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

18383 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 247 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 17 ), 57

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

Mon 30: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 30: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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.

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Paul Hartley Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - August 29

(© Jeff Pritchard)
Paul Hartley (guitars); Mike Hope (tenor sax); Ben Wilshire (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums).

Like a lot of things that are happening today, what you expect is not what you get and although I was looking forward to hearing the advertised guest, Jeff Gundren, the jazz gremlins were at work and it was not to be as Jeff had cancelled due to being bed-ridden with a mystery virus.  However, the show must go on and bandleader Paul Hartley enlisted the services of tenor man Mike Hope who was only here a week ago which may be the reason for the somewhat lower turnout than usual or perhaps the cooler weather was to blame?

I was not able to do a review last week due to only hearing the first set so I was glad to make amends. On this occasion, Mike played with a slightly bigger sound, I thought, than last week.  A dozen tunes were played but the ones I liked best were Cottontail done at a medium tempo, Oleo and Turnaround, the Ornette Coleman blues which Mike chose as his opener. 


It’s been a while since I’ve heard anyone at the Railway play Invitation, a tune composed by Bronislaw Kapers who also wrote the tune On Green Dolphin Street which just about everyone plays at one time or another. Ben Wilshire, who can be added to the list of great bass players that you can hear at this venue, impressed me with his solid time-keeping and, together with Eryl Roberts on drums, made for a first rate rhythm section. Paul Hartley played some nice solos on both his guitars and announced the tunes in an entertaining and informative manner.  


The next jazz night at the Railway will be Sept 3 with guitarist Derrick Harris' Trio. Mike Farmer

 

Turnaround; Alone Together; My Little Suede Shoes; My Foolish Heart; Cottontail; It Don't Mean a Thing if It Don’t Have That Swing; How Insensative; There Will Never be Another You; All Blues; Darn That Dream; Invitation; Oleo.

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