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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 2023).

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!"

Postage

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Friday, November 01, 2013

Paul Dunmall Sextet @ Cluny 2. October 29.

 Paul Dunmall (tenor  saxophone, flute &  pipes), Mike Fletcher (alto saxophone & flute), Percy Pursglove (trumpet), Mike Hurley (keyboards), Chris Mapp (double bass) & Mark Sanders (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photos by Ken Drew)
We were at his fiftieth and we reconvened this week on the occasion of his sixtieth. In between times some of us caught Paul Dunmall on numerous visits to Tyneside. Now in his sixtieth year, the self effacing reeds maestro looked no different with the passing decade and if anything, sounded better than ever. Dunmall assembled a sextet of ‘masters of their instruments’ to celebrate the milestone with a three date tour. In improv circles a three date tour constitutes a marathon stretch on the road, the equivalent of Led Zeppelin in their prime doing fifty eight nights out of sixty



Cluny 2 (the Cluny’s ‘other space’) drew a good sized crowd (a few short of arena proportions) to hear what Dunnall was up to. Well, what a surprise! On stage (a modest affair) music stands fought for a place amongst the instruments and instrument stands. Rewind…music stands? Sheet music? But this was to be an improv gig. The first of two sets presented Dunmall’s written music – suites I, II, III, IV and more, titles, if any, undisclosed. Frontline woodwind and brass read their parts and in the tradition of Miles and Trane walked off stage leaving the soloist or duo in the spotlight. Piano, bass and drums swung like the proverbial. Mark Sanders, the first call percussionist on the British improv scene, revealed another side to his playing with some of the fiercest, thrilling drumming heard on Tyneside since Martin Drew. Bassist Chris Mapp swung it big time and the two-handed Mike Hurley leapt from French impressionism to the Post Modern with ease. Dunmall and Mike Fletcher worked together as flautists and later as pipers. The bandleader’s tenor solos were of epic proportions, as good as you’ll hear, Fletcher acquitted himself admirably on alto and trumpeter Percy Pursglove gave a brilliant display; development of solo, timing, fingers a blur, breath control.
Written sections gave way to the improvised yet all the while the underlying structure held firm. Many a mainstream fan would have taken something, taken much, from the set. Second set found us on more familiar Dunmall territory. The improviser took centre stage. His band mates were similarly off the leash; Mapp deployed electronics, engaging feedback, Sanders must have bumped his head during the interval because on resumption he was his old improv self! The sceptics (those all too quick to deride the improv form), had they been present, would surely have concluded that it isn’t such a leap from ‘jazz’ to ‘improv’. Who knows, they could have been tempted to purchase a CD on the night. A memorable Paul Dunmall gig. In ten years time there will be another one (and others in the meantime). Make sure you’re there.                

Russell.       

1 comment :

joesh said...

I think there's really only one comment which I could honestly make ..... "I wish I'd been there!", wow sounds like a good evening. Interesting to see Paul in this type of line up. I really liked his recent release with Mark Hanslip "Weeping Idols", interesting to see that band live one of these days.

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