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

18402 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 31 ), 76

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

April

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 03: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). Free. Chicago blues.

Sat 04: Jake Leg Jug Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Anthropology. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Wild Women of Wylam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £10.00.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free Quintet + guest Neil Brodie (trumpet).
Sun 05: Mark Williams & Tom Remon @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Jazzmain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Zoë Gilby & Johnny Hunter @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 09: Tom Remon + A.N. Other @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 09: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra w. Dan Johnson @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. £15.00. inc. bf.

Thursday, May 01, 2025

Guido Spannocchi Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle - April 30

© Ken Drew
Guido Spannocchi (baritone sax); John Pope (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums)

Did you know it was International Jazz Day? UNESCO, founded in 1945, puts its weight behind the initiative, an initiative designed to showcase jazz to the wider world. There was the option of watching a livestream from Abu Dhabi (Herbie Hancock, Emmet Cohen and others) or getting along to the Globe for a triple bill culminating in a headline appearance by Guido Spannocchi. 

On the last day of April - the 30th (International Jazz Day) - the sun shone and so, the Globe it was. It just so happens, actually by design, Newcastle Jazz Co-op purchased the Globe on Railway Street on this very day eleven years ago. There have been many ups and downs over the years - memorable gigs, funding issues, unexpected repair bills etc - but this was a day to celebrate all things jazz. 

© Ken Drew
At around quarter past eight, Guido Spannocchi took to the stage almost exactly twelve months to the day when the Vienna-born, London-resident saxophonist made his debut here at Jazz Co-op HQ. A year ago Spannocchi played alto sax. We were expecting the same this evening, however, our man picked up a baritone sax. In the company of bassist John Pope and drummer Steve Hanley, GS would play two sets of original music. 

Last year we heard a quartet (Danny Keane's piano the chordal instrument) go to work on GS's tunes, this evening there was much space for the trio of Spannocchi, Pope and Hanley to make their mark: Pope's authoritative, distinctive sound to the fore, Hanley's creative accents and inventive patterns all the more prominent. All to the good. Spannocchi's facility on the 'big beast' impressed the select audience, at least two of the numbers were played last year - Uphill Blues and A Walkin Yoyogi Park - which enabled those present last year and this to compare and contrast the bandleader's approach and effectiveness on alto (2024) and baritone (2025). 

© Ken Drew
Earlier in the day (it was a mid-afternoon start) the early birds were in on a SH#RP Collective public rehearsal led by Lindsay Hannon, followed by a full set of modern jazz charts courtesy of several of the mainstays of the long-running weekly (Wednesday) Take it to the Bridge session. Russell       
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