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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, 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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