Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Friday, September 18, 2026

Jazz @ the Lit & Phil: Danny Lowndes Hot Club - Sept. 18

© Sylvia/Patti
Danny Lowndes, Shez Sheridan (guitars); Chris Lloyd (accordion); Emlyn Vaughan (bass)

Over the years I've seen many Django inspired groups such as Waso, Nany Swing and the various ensembles fronted by Emma Fisk and Mick Shoulder. It was with the latter's Swing Manouche that I'd previously heard Danny Lowndes and here he was with his own group - Danny Lowndes Hot Club - as part of yet another sold out JATLP Lunchtime Concert Series.

A last minute substitution saw Shez Sheridan stepping in for Lowndes' regular sidekick Bryan Day which meant for a change to the set list in the printed programme. Nobody complained it wasn't as if you'd ordered lobster and been served prawns - quite the opposite in fact.

Sweet Georgia Brown got the show on the road and any misgivings I had about the presence of an accordion soon vanished. Lloyd's solo swung hard matching that of many a fiddler or blackstick blower who'd ever graced the hot club genre. Nuages settled things down but Honeysuckle Rose raised the ante with all four putting their foot on the gas. As the end became nigh Lowndes (or was it Shez?) and the outstanding bassist Vaughan exchanged fours and, disappointedly (for me) they didn't go out on the traditional riff that everyone from Django to Basie has done as a rite of passage. 

A Latin number which may or may not have been Bossa Dorado followed (it was unannounced) and then a flow of good old good ones: Lady be Good; Caravan and After You've Gone all played with panache and, of course, the relentless chugging of the guitarists that is forever associated with gypsy jazz.

Indifference, a fast waltz had the band stomping away but Dark Eyes was played at a tempo faster than all the other numbers combined - the Jazz Police were dishing out speeding tickets galore (in between clapping vociferously!)

My Blue Heaven closed the show, if the band had known it was precipitating down outside they may have chosen a different tune. I'm pleased they didn't as it had a swinging solo by Shez who, throughout the afternoon, handled everything that was thrown at him even quoting the James Bond Theme at the end of one number. 

Good stuff. Lance

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