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, October 28, 2024

Sue Ferris Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth - Oct. 28

© Russell

Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Graham Hardy (trumpet); Ben Lawrence (piano); John Pope (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

Shirt sleeves in Blyth in the last week of October. Who would have thought it? The Yamaha Music School on Seaforth Street is beginning to succeed in attracting regulars. All the indications are the place is heading in the right direction. 

This Monday lunchtime concert featured the Sue Ferris Quintet. That Shoe String Thing - Sue's debut album - would feature throughout a set of some forty five minutes. John Pope depping for Andy Champion, otherwise it was the usual line-up. 

© Ken Drew
The SF5 opened with a brace of Horace Sliver: The Jody Grind hitting a groove, Nica's Dream following on. The horns - Sue Ferris, tenor sax, Graham Hardy, trumpet - blew as we know they can, solos hitting the bull's eye. The rhythm section purred - Ben Lawrence at the Yamaha grand, JP handling the bass parts with consummate ease, John Bradford behind the traps. West Side Story never dates, One Hand, One Heart the selection.

Roy Hargrove wrote some great tunes, said bandleader Sue. Her ace quintet went out on one of them - Soppin' the Biscuit. 

Next week (Monday 4 November) there is something rather special to look forward to. Three stars of this weekend's sold out Classic Jazz Party will be in concert - Rico Tomasso (trumpet), Cia Tomasso (vocals) and Curtis Volp (guitar, banjo). £9.00. at the door, one o'clock start. 

Set list: The Jody Grind; Nica's Dream; Cavendish*; One Hand, One Heart; Soppin' the Biscuit.

* An increasingly familiar Ben Lawrence composition, still without a name. Today, Ben decided it should be called Cavendish. Next time - who knows? Russell
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