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

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth - July 21

© Ken Drew 
Gerry Richardson (organ); Garry Linsley (alto sax); Rod Sinclair (guitar); Paul Smith (drums)

The Gerry Richardson Quartet is an occasional happening. Gerry Richardson's Big Idea is nothing like an occasional happening, it's more like a once in a blue moon event.* The former - Gerry (organ), Garry Linsley (alto sax), Rod Sinclair (guitar), Paul Smith (drums) - rocked up at Seaforth Street in Blyth for a Monday lunchtime (three quarters of an hour) gig at the town's Yamaha Music School.

© Ken Drew 
Comin' Home Baby (back in the day a hit for Mel Tormé) opened the show and the boys were 'on it' from note one. Soul Shadows (the Richardson vocal right on the money), My Mother's Eyes (dusted-off from the Gerry Richardson pad), time was flying. Solos shared between Gerry, Garry Linsley (alto sax) and Telecaster maestro Rod Sinclair were never less than excellent - what's new?! These guys could have played for an hour and three quarters, as it was, a mere forty five minutes and they would be done for the day. 

Paul Smith is irreplaceable in any of Gerry's line-ups (trio, quartet, the nine piece Big Idea) and there was time for drummer Smithy's party piece, African Sunset. Mesmeric rhythmic patterns, Garry's insistent alto, Rod's 'township' feel, Gerry's keyboard ratcheting up the Hammond sound, great stuff. Jimmy Witherspoon's Money's Getting Cheaper (a world-weary song for our times), then it was time to go, but not before Bobby Hebb's big hit Sunny. An excellent session.          

* On Sunday 26 October, at Newcastle Jazz Co-op HQ on Railway Street, the Big Idea reconvenes for the first time in yonks. Book now because it'll be sold out long before the autumn! www.theglobenewcastle.bar. Russell
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