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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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

June

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.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

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.

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