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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 2025).

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Monday, April 24, 2017

CD Review: Louis Sclavis, Dominique Pifarely and Vincent Courtois - Asian Fields Variations .

Louis Sclavis (clarinets), Dominique Pifarely (violin), Vincent Courtois (cello).
(Review by Steve T).
What ECM do consistently well is mix Jazz with classical music and this is no exception, but rather than being Jazz with a hint of classical, it's more classical with a bit of Jazz, particularly on Asian Fields, with impressive solos on clarinet and violin, though this is by no means stronger than the rest of the album.
Arriving at Jazz through Black American Music, my interest in classical music is minimal, restricted to a few composers, though French composers are amongst my favourites, and generally an orchestra rather than a smaller ensemble. Clarinet, violin and cello suggests chamber music but Sclavis claims there's more to it than that and I tend to agree.
The three of them have played together as duos, a trio and part of larger ensembles since 1987. As a trio they re-launched in 2015 at the Vaulx Jazz Festival near Lyon, indicating that Jazz is viewed very differently on the continent as much as the eclecticism of Jazz Festivals nowadays.
The album is consistently good throughout, a view shared by my various passengers through its regulation three spins, but I doubt I'll pull it out again, which doesn't have to be a bad thing.
If this is how you like your Jazz, or for that matter your classical, it's been out since March.
Steve T.
Hugh's link (see comments).

2 comments :

Hugh said...

Nice review, Steve. IIRC, Lance gave me one of his CDs to review a few years ago - sounds in a similar vein. I was listening recently to last weeks "Jazz Now" on catch-up and in an interview John Etheridge made some interesting comments regarding the ECM sound. You can catch it here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08mdcj4 at about 59:30

Steve T said...

Thanks Hugh, I'll give it a listen. Number one wife may or may not let me go to see Etheridge with Soft Machine this sat (make no mistake, I'm the boss). Should be interesting with the recent death of another one time Softs guitarist Allan Holdsworth.
I've seen Etheridge doing Zappa, Django and Hendrix with Nigel Kennedy and classical with John Williams so he's pretty versatile.
Last time I saw another great British guitarist - Jim Mullen - he was less than complimentary about ECM.

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