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

18361 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 215 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 8 ), 25

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 12: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 13: Paul Skerritt Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00.
Fri 13: The SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Soothsayers + Rookie Numbers @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.

Sat 14: The Too Bad Jims @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. R&B.
Sat 14: NUJO @ Venue, Newcastle University Students’ Union. Time TBC. £15.00. supporter; £10.00. standard; £5.00. student. Seated event.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: The Too Bad Jims @ The Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £12.00. R&B.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Rebecca Poole @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Poole w. Dean Stockdale & Ken Marley. CANCELLED!

Mon 16: Milne Glendinning Band @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Scotty Adair (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: The ’58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club, West Park, 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 18: Brand New Heavies @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Saturday, June 08, 2024

Album review: Dizzy Gillespie - Soul and Salvation (Liberation Hall)

Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Newman (trumpet); Garnett Brown, Benny Powell (trombone); James Moody, Joe Farrell, Seldon Powell, Eddie Pazani, Jerome Richardson (reeds); Al Williams, Ernie Hayes (piano/organ); Cornell Dupree, Billy Butler, Carl Lynch, Wally Richardson (guitar); Jimmy Tyrell (bass); Ray Lucas (drums); George Devens (perc); Ed Bland (composer/arranger) + unknown vocal group.

Whilst it's always exciting to hear Dizzy and Moody this reissue leaves me slightly underwhelmed and that's being polite.

Recorded circa 1969 and released on the Pye label as Souled Out it seems to have been an attempt to cash in on the then current vogue for soul and, in the process, probably alienated fans of both Dizzy and, say, Ray Charles. I doubt if many of those fans forked out the asking price of £1.45 when they could have bought a Ray Charles' album for not much more or The Young Lions featuring Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Frank Strozier, Bobby Timmons, Bob Cranshaw and 'Tootie' Heath for £1.30 and still have enough left for a pint of bitter.

Despite the above, this isn't a criticism of Dizzy who more or less rises above the dross, his technique as breathtaking as ever. The fault lies in the pseudo-soul arrangements, the monotonous rhythms and the doo-wop girl vocal group that stifle the main man.

Perhaps the original title was changed in case they thought that original title was misspelt and that the new one would bring salvation. It didn't! Lance


Stomped and Wasted; Pot Licka; Blue Cuchifrito; Turnip Tops; The Fly Fox; Chicken Giblets; Casabah Melon; Clabber Biscuits; Rutabaga Pie; Turkey Fan

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