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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - CANCELLED CEILING COLLAPSED!
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Going Dutch @ The Lit & Phil (afternoon session) - January 22

(Review/photos courtesy of Ken Drew)
The expectations of this Dutch All-Dayer had been well and truly set the previous evening at the Jazz Café – what a Taster that was!
Now for the programme proper.  The format ran as 3 sets, each with one established group of players preceded by a new grouping.


2pm:  Oli Brice on bassJohn Dikeman on saxOnno Govaert on drums.  Dikeman was 'leading' but Brice and Govaert stuck to his heels and followed unrelentingly to the end.  Dikeman was certainly on form and overall it was a HUGE sound and a great opener.

2:20-3:00 Ab Baars on reedsWilbert de Joode on bassMartin van Duynhoven on drums. A quieter journey, again 'led' by the sax although this time there were music stands (and therefor some pre-arranged pieces) involved. The first piece lasted just a few minutes of very thoughtful and dynamic playing, but provided an excellent introduction for what was to follow. Baars moving from sax to clarinet lowering the pace even more.  Good use of the space for some quite dramatic silences, and crashes from van Duynhoven. This was inspired by Messiaen's musical fantasy of sonority - mostly birdsong, but maybe there was a hint of Rhapsody in Blue (to my ears!) but overall some very thrilling, dynamic and thoughtful playing, each player reading each other perfectly. One piece in particular was very quiet but all the more sonically interesting for it. The audience appreciated it all. 

3:15pm:  Reinier Baas - guitar solo.  Mesmeric, rhythmic, flowing and shimmering sounds - hints of John Renbourne and Gordon Giltrap (to name two non-jazz guitarists, for some of the playing techniques displayed) coupled with a generally subtle use of pedals. A very unique sound built on many techniques and simple use of a few pedals on the floor (apart from a short spell of over-use of the volume pedal at one point, tending to excess). The left hand chord fingering was a joy to watch, including the creation of harmonics from Reinier's right hand plucking & hammering the strings.  Towards the end de Joode joined in for a short lively piece - as if chasing each other!

3:40-4:15 "Feecho" - Kaya Draksler on grand piano and Onno Govaert on drums. A very long piece, reminiscent of Messiaen and Schnittke etc.  A wonderful duet, with beautiful playing and interpretation on the piano concluding with Messiaen flavours, including a perfect combination of low-end notes blended with high-end notes trembling then diminishing to quietness.
A joy to behold!

4:30: Oli Brice on bassFaye MacCalman on reedsWilbert de Joode on bass. Two Bass's plus sax!! Ok, so we'd had a brief insight into this at the Caff the night before. Starting with both basses, quickly bringing out rich harmonics from each.  MacCalman soon joining in with clarinet, diving in and out of the two complementary basses - bird-like effects and more. A free piece, yet well-structured in its delivery, with very nice interplay between all three. The second, shorter piece, was more frenetic and intense, and hung together well.

4:55-5:30: Ab Baars on reedsIg Henneman on viola.  Viola-with-clarinet, dancing around and following each other in a myriad of rhythms and exploring many sonic avenues. The second piece (around a Frank Schubert piece) saw viola now with sax from Baars much more pronounced and frantic, slowing to a meandering theme in the viola. Finally it is rudely joined by the sax providing a new theme, almost anthemic.  An odd (maybe?) but certainly workable collaboration but overall, quite delicate throughout.  The final piece saw Baars wield a bass recorder (?) but maybe a more compatible pairing of instruments for this style of music.  A nice combination.

And so ended the afternoon session. It was noted by many that the programme timing was very good through the day. Both for the start of the day, throughout the session, and at the end! Not sure if this was a Dutch effect or just a concerted improvement over last year’s All-Dayer.  The format was simple and worked really well - the first group of each set was allocated 20 minutes, yet despite the shortness of these, each group gave it their all and delivered quite exhilarating pieces whether short or long.
Ab Baars (reeds); Reinier Baas (guitar); Olie Brice (bass); Wilbert de Joode (bass); John Dikeman (sax); Kaja Draksler (piano); Onno Govaerts (drums); Ig Henneman (viola); Faye MacCalman (reeds); Jasper Stadhouders (guitar); Martin van Duynhoven (drums).

Ken Drew

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