Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

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.
----- 
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.
at

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

Friday, February 17, 2012 7:17:00 pm

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive