Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15867 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 874 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (Sept. 25).

From This Moment On ...

September

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Sat 30: John Pope Quintet + Late Girl + Shapeshifters @ Bobik's, Jesmond, Newcastle.
Sat 30: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

OCTOBER

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Paul Wight (drums).

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Brand & Sanders + Faye MacCalman 4tet @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre – May 21.

(Review/photos courtesy of Ken Drew)
A two-Set “Women Make Music” JNE presentation was received with much anticipation heralding, as it did, the return of Sarah Gail Brand - resulting in a decent sized audience.
Sarah Gail Brand (trombone); Mark Sanders (drums). 
These guys need no introduction – although Sarah’s rare visits to Tyneside make this a near possibility - unless your memory takes you back to 2007.  It was noted that her longest established and most empathetic musical relationship is with drummer Mark Sanders, although, sadly for us, they’ve never appeared on Tyneside as a duo until now.  However, Mark performed at the GIJF in 2014 and, prior to that, with Paul Dunmall’s group at Cluny2.  
But it was straight in at the deep end for Sarah, leading with a multitude of rhythms, sounds, gasps and  much physical excursion,  with Mark following her every move through what appeared to be putting the trombone (and her own technique) through its paces.  She combines most enthusiastically an abstract approach to melody along with a tone that varies between great purity and earthiness, but always sonorous.  The duo seemed perfectly aligned and always in-sync whilst each giving the other space to express and explore.  The array of sounds from Sarah was expertly matched by Mark’s equally large array of ‘devices’ which complement the drum kit at which he sat (well, most of the time).  Three separate pieces came from the duo - each full of energy and intrigue, always twisting and turning yet flowing seamlessly. A veritable Masterclass disguised as yet another Free Improv gig in Newcastle.   But the musicianship and the audience’s overall delight gave that one away!  
-----
 Faye MacCalman (sax); Pete Curry (piano); John Pope (bass); Christian Alderson (drums)
The first set was also eagerly anticipated giving exposure to a new local ‘4tet’. Whilst Faye had performed recently on the same stage (with bass and electronics) prior to Linda Sharrock’s excellent performance earlier this month, this was their first outing as a unit – but you really would not have guessed that.  Nor would you guess (why would you?) that Faye is about to finish her degree and then take that big step into full time music.   The piece they performed worked well throughout.  Mostly led by Faye’s eminently confident sax playing, and occasionally driven by the bass – sometimes rhythmically and other times by loud interjections from one of his strings.  The keys were solid in their support, and the drums were at least that, if not also a pre-cursor to what would follow in the next set.  Overall, I couldn’t say what the style was – apart from nicely (and sometimes surprisingly) varied and truly Improv from start to finish.   Nice one guys – well done!
Ken Drew.

No comments :

Blog Archive