Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 2024.

The Things They Say!

Hudson Music: Lance's "Bebop Spoken Here" is one of the heaviest and most influential jazz blogs in the UK.

Rupert Burley (Dynamic Agency): "BSH just goes from strength to strength".

'606' Club: "A toast to Lance Liddle of the terrific jazz blog 'Bebop Spoken Here'"

The Strictly Smokin' Big Band included Be Bop Spoken Here (sic) in their 5 Favourite Jazz Blogs.

Ann Braithwaite (Braithwaite & Katz Communications) You’re the BEST!

Holly Cooper, Mouthpiece Music: "Lance writes pull quotes like no one else!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Friday, December 14, 2018

Archipelago and Guests @ Bridge Hotel - Dec. 9

Christian Alderson (drums  & percussion); Faye MacCalman (sax & clarinet); John Pope (bass guitar)  + Fran Bundey  (iPads and  TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch); Lisette Auton (poet, spoken word artist).
(Review & photos by Ken Drew).  

One year ago, Jazz North East's end-of-year performance comprised two bands - ARTICLE XI and FAVOURITE ANIMALS for an end of year blast. This year's final blast of the year was 'Archipelago + Guests' hotfoot from their mini-residencies as part of their 'Between Waves' project where the trio worked with a different guest for each of their four performances at Cobalt Studios in October. Tonight, they were reunited with two of their guests to perform some of that work and to launch a digital EP of their ‘Between Waves’ collaboration.


With a slightly late start to find more seats for late arrivers, it was straight in by Archipelago with a rather loud and powerful number - reminding us of their power-trio garage-jazz approach whilst exploring ‘song forms and emotional narratives with riffs, silence, noise, grooves and improvisation’. This was followed by 2 readings/poems by Auton - gritty and witty and pretty direct is her style.  Then a third reading, this time nicely backed by the trio in a subdued manner initially, before winding up the angst towards the end almost turning the piece into a song. What a nice intertwining mix of words and music throughout this piece. Then over to Bundey, initially an instrumental solo piece (prepared iPads & devices) followed by another with the trio joining too with a  slow rhythmic tune with many effects throughout (reminiscent of LeafCutter John maybe).   The end of the first set was a piece by Archipelago Drift Ice driven by a strong beat, heaviness, and moments of melancholy.
Set 2 started with the guests - Bundey with an upbeat solo song then Auton with two more readings revealing more of her observational and humourous style. Next, a revelation by Archipelago - they have a singer within!  With Faye on vocals, this gentle tune increased in intensity to a climactic end, bookended by Pope soloing on bass. Then, a longer piece arising from the Between Waves collaboration  'Heartbeat' (you can see the graphical score for this on Auton's website) complete with trio backing and words emphasised by hand movements (which is often the case with Auton!). The final number was the trio with Bundey's electronic layers and vocal choruses & FX.   I'd like to have heard more of Bundeys work, even if just pumping up the volume beyond the shadows of the trio. And of course an encore. Despite being out of time (and beyond) they squeezed in a Don Cherry number to energise the audience for the journey home.

This was a packed night - both for the audience and the programme which was quite ambitious, aiming to cover solo work from each of the 3 bands/artists plus the inclusion of some of the output from their Between Waves project. Overall it gave an insight into each of the performers and what had emerged from the collaborations, but there is more untapped potential in there no doubt.  

Their Bandcamp release 'Between Waves' is due on 11th Dec.  Check it out, along with their Soundcloud tracks, with the volume at ‘11’ if possible.   
Ken Drew


No comments :

Blog Archive