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

18413 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 277 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 7 ) 11,

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

Thu 09: Tom Remon + Laurence Harrison @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 09: Michael Littlefield @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Blues.
Thu 09: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra w. Dan Johnson @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. £15.00. inc. bf.

Fri 10: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes Montgomery @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Joe Steels, Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Gambling Janes @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 10: Jake Leg Jug Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 10: Steve White Trio @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00. + bf. Soul Drum (Acid Jazz Records) album tour.

Sat 11: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £26.80.

Sun 12: Swing Social @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Admission: Donations (£5.00. - £10.00. suggested). Swing dance taster class, social dancing to Niffi Osiyemi Trio, DJs. Non dancers welcome. A Cluny-Swing Tyne event.
Sun 12: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: Trio Grand @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30-9:30pm. £10.84.
Sun 12: SH#RP Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Mon 13: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 14: Pete Tanton’s Cuban Heels @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 14: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, November 24, 2025

Groovetrain @ Pilgrim, Newcastle - Nov. 23

© Anon
Michael Lavery (vocals/guitar); Angela Newbrook, Steph Kay, Rebecca Patton (vocals); Les Watts (keys); Mitch Laddie (guitar/vocals); John Dawson (bass guitar); Ian Halford (drums/vocals); Si King (perc.); Danny Allan (saxes); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone); Ross Laing (trumpet).

Pilgrim (Hoochie Coochies as was) on Pilgrim St., welcomed the many that had made the pilgrimage to the iconic music venue in Newcastle city centre. I doubt if as many pilgrims had made it to Lourdes. Why should they? Groovetrain weren't there, they were here in Newcastle and, as usual, pulling in their own following. Needless to say the Sold Out signs were flashed up.

The fans had travelled far and wide to hear/see the band. A group near me were from Liverpool or maybe they were staying at the big, posh Hotel Gotham  opposite on the site of the old fire station.

There were times when experiencing what Groovetrain were laying down on stage with such burning zeal that I wished the original fire station was still operative!

With bar boss Lavery  leading from the front the room was a mass of gyrating hips - there was little space left to gyrate anything else - vocals and great harmonies from the girls, wild sax from Danny Allan, Showtime and Ross Laing power shredding brass riffs and the funkiest, rockiest, soul searching rhythm section this side of the Motor City - and I don't mean Sunderland - hit the spot.

Hairy Biker Si King knocked seven shades out of his percussive armoury, Mitch Laddie composed 50 Shades of Blue as well as singing and soloing like Clapton, Halford on drums also aired his vocal chords and John Dawson gave the bass some meaning as did the keeper of the keyboards.

A lot of the material was new to me but that didn't lesson the impact of the songs alongside the ones that I did know by Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and Tower of Power.

I missed the second set as I was also due at the Globe - but I left making a promise to myself that at the next Groovetrain gig I'd go the distance. Lance 

Not That Kind; Love Theory; As; Minute by Minute; Lowdown; Peg; Clap Your Hands...Master Builder; What You Won't do; Only so Much Oil; Why Did You Do It?; Sweet Love; 50 Shades of Blue; Use me.

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