Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17372 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 656 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (Sept. 17).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 1:00-2:45pm. Free.
Sat 21: Vieux Carré Hot Four @ The Beehive, Hartley Lane, Earsdon Whitley Bay NE25 0SZ. 4:30pm-6:30pm.
Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sun 22: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Richard Herdman @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 22: Remy CB Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:30pm. Free. Remi, 2024 Newcastle Uni graduate, superb soul/blues voice!

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Paul Booth with the Paul Edis Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert! SOLD OUT!

Tue 24: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv. from Tully’s of Rothbury). Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 24: Sarah Gillespie @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £16.50. Duo performance with Chris Montague.

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra UK: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Middlesbrough Theatre. 7:30pm.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Ushaw Ensemble – St. Cuthbert's Suite, Ushaw College, Durham - March 18

Paul Edis (MD/piano); Graham Hardy (trumpet/flugel); Graeme Wilson (tenor sax/bass clarinet/flute); Emma Fisk (violin); Alice Burn (Northumbrian pipes); Rob Walker (drums/tympani); Paul Susans (double bass).
(Review/photos by Hugh C).
A decent crowd assembled in the newly refurbished Francis Thompson Room, preparatory to the world premiere of Paul Edis’ St Cuthbert's Suite – a suite specially commissioned by Ushaw College.
After a brief introduction, Durham's Dr Jazz himself, Paul Edis, announced that the Suite was to be played in the second set.  As befitted a serious composition we were provided with detailed programme notes.  Before that though, we were to be treated to some lighter material, each with a connection (sometimes tenuous!) to religion or the religious life.  There followed approximately 50 minutes of music, each of the front line musicians taking a solo role in one of the items.  Included were Solitude, Meditation, Confirmation, [Our] Lady be Good and St. Thomas. 

Alice Burn played a solo pipes rendition of Cheviot's Lament (written to commemorate the devastation of the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak).
After interval refreshment and a chance to have a quick look at some of the other splendours of Ushaw Hall, an expectant audience reassembled to prepare for the world premiere.  Another first may have taken place that evening as well – Paul Edis did wonder aloud if this was the first incorporation of Northumbrian pipes in a jazz setting.
St. Cuthbert's suite consists of eleven individual components which ran, more or less, back to back for around 45 minutes.  Each component related to a particular phase in St Cuthbert's life and events after his death:
St Cuthbert's Theme
A Shepherd From Melrose
A Vision
The Indefatigable Evangelist
Solitude
Many Miracles
The Death of Cuthbert
The Vikings
Seven Years Wandering
The Wonder Worker of Britain
Dunholme
The programme notes were very helpful and an integral part of the performance in my view -  enabling one to follow the progression of the suite.  The notes provided both a brief historical background and an outline to the musical progression.  The musical instruments to the fore in a particular section were highlighted and an outline provided of the compositional thinking behind what was being offered.  In the notes, Edis cites influences from composers as wide ranging as Ellington, Debussy, Ravel and Messiaen.
The musical styles were wide ranging, but definitely, in my view, within the confines of jazz in my view.  Each of the soloists excelled and the ensemble evenly balanced in this, their first performance.  The depiction of the Vikings by freely improvised playing was, I thought, particularly effective.  The audience were appreciative, with loud applause at the end of the performance.  Paul did suggest we could clap during the Suite if we wished, but no-one did – I felt this was entirely appropriate, given the nature of the piece. However, there were one or two recalcitrants toward the back of the room who insisted on maintaining a conversation during the music.
The evening was rounded off by a rousing rendition of Ellington's Come Sunday.
All in all, an excellent evening - congratulations to Paul Edis and the Ushaw Ensemble. 
The Jazz at Ushaw season continues through the year:  The James Birkett and Bradley Johnston Duo (guitars) play at 7.30pm on Friday, April 29 and the Susan Ferris Quintet (featuring several of the musicians from the Ushaw Ensemble) are on Friday, May 27 at 7.45pm, with an early bird session at 7.15pm. Full details here:  http://www.ushaw.org/events.html
Also don't forget the Durham Jazz Festival over the three days of the August Bank Holiday weekend.  I am assured by the festival organiser that full details will be available soon, including a feature in forthcoming edition of Jazzwise magazine.
Hugh.

1 comment :

Kathleen M said...

St Cuthbert’s Suite – So good we heard it twice. Having heard and enjoyed the first performance so much we decided there was no better way of spending Saturday afternoon than by hearing it again. There is a pamphlet to accompany this composition with the various aspects of St. Cuthbert’s Life wonderfully interpreted by Paul Edis and brought to life by a fantastic group of musicians.
Once again I was so involved with listening that I cannot do justice to the various moods evoked by this awe inspiring work. I hope and believe there may be a CD in the near future. Thanks to all who took part with a special thank you to Paul Edis.

Blog Archive