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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 2025).

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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00. CANCELLED!

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

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

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Exchange Orchestra - Download review.

Eirik Svelar; Aubin Vanns - Guitars; Matt Anderson, Ben Lowman - tenors; Emlyn Vaughan - Bass; John Arnesen - Drums.
Formed in Autumn 2011 under the initiative of the guitarist Eirik Svela, The Exchange Orchestra (TEO) is an homage to the late Paul Motian's great sextet (the electric bebop band). With the unusual line up of two guitars, two tenor saxophones, bass and drums TEO resonates with a powerful sound capable of executing a broad range of textures. Anchored with a solid foundation in the jazz tradition TEO is driven by the present and seeks to fuse the sound of the individual players with a sense of purpose as a band.
Jazz legend and pianist Thelonious Monk is recognised for having been ahead of his time. With his unique style of playing and writing he was able to fuse the roots of jazz with the avant-garde back in the 1940's. TEO seeks to build on these elements in Monk's compositions and through them expose its own individual band sound. This is not a tribute, but a homage suited to an original like Monk; self-discovery through the intimate exploration of music.
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The above was sent to me by Eirik Svelar and in truth there is little to disagree with. Monk's music, in itself, always strikes me as a little quirky (in a nice way!) so any attempt to personalise Monk's music whilst at the same time paying tribute to another musical maverick - Paul Motian - is a journey fraught with danger.
However, these guys from Leeds - it's always Leeds! - make a decent fist of it. Personally, I'd have preferred tenor and alto rather than two tenors although their tones are sufficiently different to avoid it being an issue.
It's not a smooth sound but Monk's never was and the four tracks are very listenable.
Little Rootie Tootie has a section I'd describe as "Collective Improvisation" rather than "Free" and it works without jarring the senses.
The guitar solos are facile and totally in keeping.
It may be a work in progress but the Exchange Orchestra are getting there.
Judge for yourself - theexchangeorchestra.bandcamp.com.
Lance.

1 comment :

Ann Alex said...

Lance, I loved 'Little Rootie Tootie' but couldn't possibly explain why. Each line (Bar?) of the music sounds wonderfully unfinished, as if they've missed a note off every time, and it's really intriguing.It reminded me of Eric Satie's piano music (Avant Garde classical). He didn't even use bar lines at all.
Ann Alex

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