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Bebop Spoken There

Danny Gatton: "I was tired of playing in beer joints. I wanted to do something tangible like building cars. But once you do music it gets into your blood. You can get away from it for awhile but sooner or later it comes back to you." - (Down Beat April 1991).

Tal Farlow: "There were times when I would stop [playing guitar] and do sign painting." - (Downbeat December 5, 1963)

Archives

Today Sunday August 20

Afternoon.
Mark Williams (solo guitar) - Cherry Tree Restaurant, 9 Osborne Rd., Jesmond, Newcastle. 12:30pm. Free.
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Blues @ The Bay - Tanner Smith's 17-19 South Parade, Whitley Bay NE26 2RE, 0191 2525941. 4pm. Free. Blues jam w. Scott Wall & Charlie Philp.
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Musicians Unlimited - Park Hotel, Park Rd., Hartlepool TS26 9HU. 01249 233126.1pm. Free. Summer Break. Back Sept. 3
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Somethin' Blue - Vesuvio, 3a Houndgate, Darlington DL1 5RL. 01325 788564. 5pm. Weekly.
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Evening
Chris Martin - Billy Bootleggers, 28 Nelson St., Newcastle NE1 5AN. 9pm. Free.
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Paul Edis Trio - Black Bull, Bridge St. Blaydon NE21 4JJ. 8pm. £5.
To the best of our knowledge, details of the above events are correct but may be subject to alteration.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

CD Review: Vance Thompson's Five Plus Six - Such Sweet Thunder

Vance Thompson, Michael Wyatt, Joe Jordan (tpt/flug); Tylar Bullion, Sean Copeland (tmb); James Mitchell (alt/sop); Greg Tardy (ten bs. clt); David King (bar/sop);  Keith Brown (pno); Taylor Coker (bs); Nolan Nevels (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Reimagining Ellingtonia, Monk and Dolly Parton is the album's subtitle. Well, Hello Dolly, I guess you never quite expected to be moving in such exalted jazz circles! By the same token I think Monk and Duke may have been equally surprised to be alongside Country's most Royal personage!
The heart of Five + Six is Thompson's working quintet - the Marble City Five (in bold above) - augmented  by additional horn players to make for a cracking biggish band ensemble.
Little Sparrow, to be honest, bears little resemblance to Dolly's version although that shouldn't be allowed to detract from what is a cracking track - maybe Dolly has yet to hear it?
Ellington is represented by Strayhorn's Isfahan, their collaboration on the title track Such Sweet Thunder and Duke's Prelude to a Kiss and Rockin' in Rhythm. Monk kicks in with Pannonica, Ugly Beauty and Four in One whilst He's Gone Away is based on a traditional Appalachian folk tune and dedicated to the late great bassist Charlie Haden. It is as poignant as Goodbye Pork Pie Hat was when recorded by another bass player nearly sixty years ago. Keith Brown - son of Donald - arranged Prelude and, with a bit of help from dad, Four in One. Thompson charted the rest as well as blowing fine trumpet and flugel.
Brown proves himself to be a worthy son of an illustrious father and Tardy's tenor is not tardy but very much Tardy! (I just love these wordisms!) 
Prelude, not surprisingly, is quite an adventurous arrangement yet does not lose the impact of the original. It's one of those tunes where you think, "I could have composed that" but, of course, you didn't - you missed out - just like you did on Happy Birthday and White Christmas!
If you're emotional, have the tissues on standby for He's Gone Now.
A beautiful CD available on Shade Street Records on January 6, 2015.. 
Lance.
Live version of Rockin' in Rhythm.
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About this blog - contact details.

Bebop Spoken Here -- Here, being the north-east of England -- centred in the blues heartland of Newcastle and reaching down to the Tees Delta and looking upwards to the Land of the Kilt.
Not a very original title, I know; not even an accurate one as my taste, whilst centred around the music of Bird and Diz, extends in many directions and I listen to everything from King Oliver to Chick Corea and beyond. Not forgetting the Great American Songbook the contents of which has provided the inspiration for much great jazz and quality popular singing for round about a century.
The idea of this blog is for you to share your thoughts and pass on your comments on discs, gigs, jazz - music in general. If you've been to a gig/concert or heard a CD that knocked you sideways please share your views with us. Tell us about your favourites, your memories, your dislikes.
Lance (Who wishes it to be known that he is not responsible for postings other than his own and that he's not always responsible for them.)
Contact: lanceliddle@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you.

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