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.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Album review: Jeremy Monteiro - Sings

Jeremy Monteiro (piano, vocals); Tony Lakatos (saxes); Wesley Gehring (guitar on 2 tks); Jens Bunge (harmonica on 1 tk); Ben Poh (bass); Hong Chanutr Techatananan  (drums) + the Jeremy Monteiro Jazz Sinfonietta Strings on 5 tks.

A pleasant semi-jazz album by Singapore pianist, vocalist, Monteiro - he was reviewed HERE a couple of years back - who has a nice  King Coleish voice as well as being an okay pianist albeit not quite in the latter's league although on Let's Fall in Love and others such as Walking my Baby Back Home, he runs Nat close on both counts.

There's also some nice blowing from Lakatos on tenor and Softly as I Leave You has an impressive, lyrical solo by Poh on bass.

The material comprises a choice selection of standards and one original all perfectly executed. My one quibble is the over-dubbed strings on five of the ten tracks which just tip it out of the Jazz rack and into the Easy Listening section which it may well have been aimed at in the first place.

Very relaxing and, if you ever follow in the footsteps of Hope and Crosby and take the 'Road to Singapore' be sure to check him out. He's known as the country's 'King of Swing'. Lance

SAMPLES

Candy; Smile; Josefina; Moon River; Blame it on my Youth; Let's Fall in Love; You'll Never Know; Walking my Baby Back Home; My Romance; Softly as I Leave You

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