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

18383 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 247 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 17 ), 57

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

March

Mon 30: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 30: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 31: Bede Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Albert Hills Wright (alto sax); Finn Carter (piano); Michael Dunlop (double bass).

April

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Musicians playing classical & orchestral music.
Thu 02: The Noel Dennis Band @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £10.84. Quartet plus special guest Zoë Gilby. Over 21s only.
Thu 02: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 02: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00. adv..
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Friday, August 08, 2025

Album review: Mark Winkler - Hold On (Café Pacific Records)

Mark Winkler (vocals) + (collective): John Beasley, Tamir Hendelman, Jamieson Trotter, Greg Gordon Smith, Eric Reed, Rich Eames (piano); George Doering, Grant Geissmann (guitar); Gabe Davis (bass); Christian Euman, Kendall Kay (drums); Bob Sheppard (soprano, tenor sax); Brian Swartz (trumpet, flugel); Lemar Guillary (trombone); Joey de Leon (perc.); The GGS Singers (background vocals).

Although Winkler's 22nd album is a nightmare for reviewers, six different pianists over eleven tracks with bassist Davis the only constant presence and the rest working in various permutations, it's worth staying the course.

Winkler wrote seven original lyrics each with meaningful and sometimes philosophic overtones. He also took the non-originals and gave them a fresher course. Even Sinatra's It Was a Very Good Year is given a workover and you wouldn't risk doing that if the great man himself had still been around. Surprisingly the bossa arrangement works. Swartz's flugel solo doesn't hurt either.

I think Train in the Desert is probably my favourite track. Winkler is the lyricist but it wouldn't have surprised me if the lyric had been credited to Raymond Chandler.

Guillary only shows on one track, the climate change inspired My Electric Car, but his solo is well-charged and maybe does its bit towards saving the planet.

The pianists are all excellent with Eames maybe having the edge - maybe!

Well up to the standard of Winkler's previous 21 albums. Lance

Hold On; A Little Taste; If I Were a Bell; Cat Women on the Moon; It Was a Very Good Year; My Future's Just a Memory; Vienna; Train in the Desert; The Devil Don't Want a Saint; My Electric Car; I Dream of You Each Night.

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