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

18336 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 190 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 28), 90

From This Moment On ...

March

Sun 08: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 9:30am. School Section & Youth Section (all day). £10.00. (£20.00 weekend ticket). Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: TRIO-SKW @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Josh Savage (drums); Lucas Kelly (organ); Tim ‘Bim’ Williams (guitar).
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Trish Clowes’ My Iris @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 08: Durham University Big Band & Foot Notes @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. £10.00., £8.00., £6.00. Big band & a cappella ensemble.

Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free

Thu 12: Boomslang @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. 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.

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

Monday, September 30, 2024

Shellac (J): Harry James - I'm Beginning to See the Light/Carnival (Parlophone DPE 126)

According to the discographies, the record number is R2991 yet my copy has the number DPE 126. Also, the label is different to that of the other Parlophone discs that I have by James. However, a closer examination revealed the words (about five o'clock on the label) MADE IN INDIA. As the two sides were recorded (in Hollywood) in 1944/45 presumably this was something to do with a shellac shortage although, further investigation reveals that several albums and 45s by the Beatles were also pressed in India. Perhaps someone will enlighten me.

Back to the music and the main appeal for me is the vocal on I'm Beginning to See the Light by Kitty Kallen. Kallen was by no means an out and out jazz singer - the jazziest vocal I've heard on this number came from Emma Smith's concert with SSBB last Sunday - but she, Kitty, was one of the better big band singers from the swing era and she does a good period take on it.

Apart from the vocal there's a tasty guitar intro from Allan Reuss.

James, Ellington and Johnny Hodges are listed as composers with Don George supplying the lyric.

Carnival is more typical of James, bold and brassy it may be but he was probably the best of the pre-bop white guys. Lance

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