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Bebop Spoken There

Vadim Neselovskyi, Professor of Jazz Piano, Berklee College of Music: “Every pianist has to deal with a very complex left-hand part at some point. This is the essential pianistic experience – to split your brain into two halves and execute two very different tasks at the same time.” – (Down Beat September 2017).

Roscoe Mitchell: “To me, improvisation is trying to improve your skills so you can make these on-point compositional decisions. That takes practice.” – (Down Beat September 2017)

Archives

Today Saturday September 23

Scarborough Jazz Festival - Day two of three.
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Evening
Bradley Johnston (solo guitar) - Cherry Tree, 9 Osborne Rd., Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2AE. 7:30pm. No cover charge.
Rockafellas - Billy Bootleggers, 28 Nelson St., Newcastle NE1 5AN. 9pm. Free.
Tobie Carpenter Organ Trio - The Globe, 11 Railway St., Newcastle NE4 7AD. 8pm. £10.
Thin Man + Jon Gordon - The Globe, 11 Railway St., Newcastle NE4 7AD. 8pm. Free.
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Nikki Iles & Stan Sulzmann - Great Hall, Hexham Abbey, Hexham NE46 3NB. 10pm. £10/£8.
Pat McMahon Trio - Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham NE46 3QD. 01434 605537. 9pm. Free.
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To the best of our knowledge, details of the above events are correct but may be subject to alteration.

Friday, January 20, 2017

CD Review: Audrey Silver - Very Early

Audrey Silver (vocals); Bruce Barth (piano); Paul Beaudry (bass); Lewis Nash (drums); Alex Pope Norris (trumpet); Gary Versace (accordion); Ron Affif (guitar); Tom Beckham (vibes)
(Review by Ann Alex)
One of the best things about this enjoyable CD is the interesting choice of songs. I haven’t previously come across any of them on a jazz CD: there are 2 by Audrey Silver herself, songs by Sting, Declan O’Rourke, a song in French, 2 songs with lyrics by poets, and also 2 songs from musicals which aren’t usually done by jazz singers (Surrey With The Fringe On Top and Getting To Know You). And the style is unmistakably jazzlike, vocals with clear diction in a pleasing alto voice and lots of space for instrumental soloing. Not so much once through the chorus, then solos, but rather a piano and vocal lead, followed by the other instruments contributing at various parts of the songs. The accordion, guitar, trumpet and vibes are not on every track, but are used wisely where appropriate. 

Six of the 12 songs were especially good. Surrey With The Fringe On Top is played in 5/4 time to indicate the skewed movement of this type of vehicle; Getting To Know You is very cleverly done as a song about a stalker, with the singer distorting the tune, sinister chords on piano and a muted trumpet; Goodbye New York has effective lyrics by a poet, Deborah Garrison, which list the characteristics of that city, eg ‘You were ugly and gorgeous but never pretty’. Sting’s Until, a song about love at first sight, features bowed bass, accordion, and muted trumpet;  Lemon Twist (Bobby Troup) comes over as an advert for the health benefits of lemons, with cool-sounding vibes; Lucky To Be Me (music by Bernstein) is a real swinger, the most jazzlike of all the tracks.
Audrey Silver is admired on the New York jazz scene and this is her third album. She has studied classical piano and cello and has worked in business and advertising. She says she wants people to hear this CD and feel better than they did before, and I believe that she has achieved this, with me at any rate.
The CD was released on November 14, 2016. See www.audreysilver.com

Ann Alex
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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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