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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Fishwick: “I can’t get behind the attitude that new is always somehow better than old” - Jazz Journal, April 15, 2019,

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...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 02: Paula Jackman's Jazz Masters @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 02: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 02: Tenement Jazz Band @ John Marley Centre, Newcastle. Swing Tyne Winter Social. £8.00. + bf. Advance purchase only, no admission at the door. BYOB. Lindy hop workshop from 11:00am. £39.00.
Sat 02: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Masham, Hartburn Village, Stockton. 7:00pm. Feat. Noel Dennis.
Sat 02: Classic Swing @ The Nuthatch, 9 - 11 Bedford St, Middlesbrough TS1 2LL. 7:00-9:00pm. Classic Swing in trio format.
Sat 02: Paul Skerritt w. Danny Miller Big Band @ Westovian Theatre, South Shields. 7:30pm.
Sat 02: Vermont Big Band @ Whitley Bay FC. 7:30pm. £10.00. (inc. hot buffet). Tickets available from WBFC’s Seahorse pub club house.
Sat 02: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Ponteland Social Club, Northumberland. 7:30pm. £18.00 (inc. stotties & soup supper). A fundraiser for Hexham Constituency Labour Party.
Sat 02: Durham Dynamics & Basement Jazz @ Kingsgate Bar & Café, Durham Students’ Union. 7:30pm. £5.00. (£4.50. concs.). ‘Fab & Festive’. A cappella & jazz. Abba, Mariah Carey & more.
Sat 02: Tom Remon & Laurence Harrison @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. Xmas party night inc. buffet & special raffle. £3.00.
Sat 02: Groovetrain @ The Unionist Club, Laygate, South Shields. 9:00pm.

Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders.
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Friday, December 08, 2017

The Improvisers' Workshop Ensemble - “Magic Mirrors" @ The Jazz Café - December 1

Nigel of Coalburns (Voice & Toys) / Gabriele Heller (Voice & Objects) / John Harrison (Saxophone) / Thomas Dixon (Saxophone) / Karen Rann (Saxophone) / Crispian Heath (Acoustic Guitar) / Martin Donkin (Electric Guitar) / Paul Taylor (Keyboards) Tobias lllingworth (Keyboards and other instrumentation) / Wesley Stephenson (Drums and Percussion)
(Review/photo by Ken Drew).
“Gathering monthly for sessions at The Bridge Hotel 'The Improvisers' Workshop' is a space where people interested in sound and improvisation gather to play, discuss and explore the nature and mysteries of improvisation. These sessions often result in different games and strategies used as vehicles for the improvisation that takes place. "Magic Mirrors" was such an idea that was conceived for a performance by the ensemble.
As a durational piece “Magic Mirrors” explores the space where a large group ensemble works in unison, and the way that unity dissolves and breaks into smaller groupings of players or soloists, which may also be symbolised by silence. Through mirroring and a Chinese whispers style of communication, the growth of the music is shaped by the decisions of the players and the way they choose to mirror, this could be rhythmically, tonally, texturally, emotionally or any such inspiration of their own choosing.”
Part 1:    A quiet start, building on individual notes & timbres, nicely demonstrating the use of voices as instruments, then building to include all performers. The rhythm of the piece changing many times, from steady to percussive single beats. Then it slowed to a more contemplative section, with the sounds of wafted paper ('other devices') taking over from voice. Then into a longer section of disparate sounds including vocal utterances from Coalburns, and wailing saxes. The piece continued to develop around the group where you could detect the flow of ideas being passed around. Pleasantly quiet ending, with keys (lllingworth) and small bells gently struck by Coalburns.

Part 2: This was a longer piece, introduced by shimmering notes on the keys (Taylor this time) and gentle sax (Harrison initially, then Dixon). Initially more meandering, but developing with the addition of voices and soprano sax. In fact getting quite heated as more voicings joined in, Heller in particular becoming quite frantic with vocal exclamations. The small bells rang and brought in a quiet section which heralded the introduction of a wide range of pitches and timbres from all. Then to close, the keys brought in a mellow flute-like tone to gracefully fade. This piece certainly explored the sonorous nature of a range of instruments, and their interaction, whilst still flowing as a single improvised piece.

Part 3:  Starting with a profound drum beat initiated by Stephenson, with saxes and voices joining in, this quickly became quite an energetic piece with all contributing. At one point it took on an almost marching-band funky rhythm, but only fleetingly. Then back to a quiet section, with Coalburns adding vocal effects sounding as if the wind were gusting outside, or maybe you were overhearing just the bass tones of a distant conversation.  No matter, a distinctly odd sound, but one which held the piece together as the others continued to exchange and interpret sonic ideas.  Heller and Rann then struck up such a conversation, taken further by Rann and Harrison to close the piece.

Overall, this was a good demonstration of live improvisation. Of the 3 pieces, I had no particular favourite, as they each flowed differently, yet each stood alone in their own right. I was actually struck by how different these pieces were, given the short pause between them giving time to ‘regroup’ their thoughts and start again from pure silence.   This performance was appreciated by the assembled audience, and a good advert for the output of the monthly Improv Workshops held by JNE at the Bridge.
Ken

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