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

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.

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.

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, March 10, 2026

The BBC Royal Charter Review your last chance to complete the public consultation

The government is consulting the public to aid decision-making on the terms for the BBC Charter’s renewal and any changes needed to help the BBC to continue to serve the public. If you value democracy with pluralistic news services plus a pluralist media landscape, it is crucial that you respond to the consultation

If you value the BBC as a vital part of democracy then please ensure you complete the survey and make sure your views are known. 

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 10 March 2026

I have complete the survey as an email/word document response and my full response can be found here:

Please feel free to use any part of my submission and cut and paste at will or with reckless abandon.

There is an online survey or you can email your responses:

How to email your responses

1 They would prefer you to answer the survey questions as it helps them structure and analyse your thoughts and views, although it is not mandatory. To do so, please copy and paste the questions into a new email.

2 If you’re answering the survey questions, write your responses below each question. The survey can be found here: https://dcms.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9EOcvcDvkNu8c9E

3 Send your email to: bbccharterreview@dcms.gov.uk.
 

Please note

If you complete the question or you cut an paste my answers in – and please feel free to use what ever you like and cut and paste away. Question 24 needs to be answered - if nothing else is answered please complete this question. The form allows 350 words and my suggested answer is 348. If you are a musician I suggest you use this if you are a promoter you will have to finesse as best you can:

“From the perspective of a working jazz musician, the current regulation process feels poorly aligned with the realities of artists, small organisations and grassroots creative ecosystems. Although the system is built around large‑scale market assessments, musicians experience the BBC’s influence in far more immediate ways: who receives commissions? Which genres are supported? And whether regional scenes are visible beyond their local circuits? The process often appears slow, opaque and overly focused on protecting commercial incumbents rather than supporting the cultural diversity and innovation sustains creative careers.

For jazz, these shortcomings are particularly pronounced. Jazz depends on discovery, specialist broadcasting and the visibility of live scenes. When the BBC reduces specialist programming or shifts resources away from niche genres, the effects are immediate: emerging artists lose exposure, independent venues lose visibility, and the pipeline of new talent becomes more fragile. Yet these impacts rarely register in formal market assessments, which tend to prioritise the interests of large commercial broadcasters rather than the independent, community‑based and often precarious parts of the sector where jazz thrives.

A more effective system would begin with a deeper understanding of how the BBC interacts with the creative economy at the level of genres, local scenes and independent production. Greater transparency how decisions are made, how evidence is weighed and how stakeholders can engage would help musicians and small organisations navigate the process. The system should recognise the positive market impact the BBC can have: commissioning new work, supporting specialist presenters, investing in regional music communities and giving airtime to artists who struggle to be heard. These contributions are not distortions of the market; they are essential to the health of the UK’s cultural ecology.

A more responsive and artist‑centred approach – that listens to musicians, values specialist genres and understands the role of public service broadcasting in nurturing creative diversity — would transform the regulatory process from a barrier into a partnership. The important improvement is a system that recognises the BBC’s unique role in sustaining culturally significant genres that commercial markets routinely overlook, and that treats this cultural value as central to its assessment”.

Many thanks for completing the response and it is greatly appreciated.

Kindest regards

Chris Hodgkins
9th March 2026

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