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.

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).

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

Friday, October 25, 2024

Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ the Lit & Phil, Newcastle Oct. 25

©Patti
Daniel John Martin (violin, vocal); Mick Shoulder, Danny Lowndes (guitars); Paul Grainger (bass).

For once the well-oiled machine that is the Lit and Phil went off the rails - no programmes had been printed. Maybe there were leaves in the system, who knows?

So as it was, no advance set list was available meaning that I'm having to work from my not always accurate memory bank.

Nevertheless, it's the music that counts and, in that respect it was hot off the Eurostar from Paris.

©Patti
Exquisite violin playing, authentic sounding guitar and solid double bass support.

Apart from the missing programme - collectors will search the Globe, and all the other north east jazz joints for the elusive item - what could go wrong? Answer: Nothing!

So, from memory (not in the order they were played), we heard: Dinette; I Love You, All of Me (DJM vocal); Nuages; Swing 42; In a Sentimental Mood; Honeysuckle Rose; Au Privave and an original that I didn't catch the title of. There may have been more. No doubt I'll find out on Sunday at the Globe where the band play TWO SETS! If it's anything like this afternoon it will be an I was there moment! Lance

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

Alora was the title of the original.

Hugh said...

For a moment I thought DJM was sporting a blonde pony tail...


...on closer inspection I see it is the shirtfront of the gentleman on the wall behind him!

Bixie said...

1) The technical ability of the man was unquestioned
2) Jazz phrasing was nonexistent
3) He should learn how to swing.
An over-hyped, poor representation of jazz manouche.
Bixie

Lance said...

Bix, old chum whilst we both agree on item 1 I have to disagree on the other 2 points not least your thoughts on swing. Certainly the original hot club didn't swing in the conventional manner. How could they with those guitars chugging away in the background? It didn't matter, they'd created the first, maybe the only, original form of, non-American, European jazz. In that sense they swung differently - vive le difference! Likewise with DJM and co. They've taken the hot club/manouche formula, adhered to it, and done it very well otherwise why do it?
Don't look for something that isn't there. Did you think any less of Armstrong because he didn't play like Miles (or vice versa)?

Rachel said...

When they played at The Globe I was a bit chuffed with myself for being able to name all the tunes, spending time with gypsy jazz friends has rubbed off on me! And after the gig and we were all packing up and I was taking down the bar Daniel asked me if I enjoyed the gig. I mentioned that they hadn't played my favourite tune, Tears. So he got his violin out again and ordered his guitarists to 'play for Rachel ' right by the bar. It was bonkers but fun. Got two solos too. Paul was upstairs on the loo so he missed out 😂

Blog Archive