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Bebop Spoken There

Wendell Brunious: "Because the blues is not 1,4 and 5 or 1,4,5,2,1. You could wake up with a flat tyre or a headache this morning, that's the blues, man" - (DownBeat, Oct. 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

15878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 885 of them this year alone and, so far, 83 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: King Bees @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 07: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 10:15am. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 07: Bugge & Niccols + Moore & Fairhall @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - All the Things You Are. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rie Nakajima @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Sat 07: Boys of Brass @ Salt Market Social, Liddell St., North Shields. From 7:00pm. £9.00. + bf.
Sat 07: Samuel Blaser Trio + Toxvaerd & Zeeberg + Muramatsu & Welch @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Zoë Gilby Quintet + Ubunye @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Line-up inc. Tony Kofi. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 08: Tommy Bentz Band @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. USA blues band.

Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Cherise Adams-Burnett @ The Grove, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. .

Tue 10: Abbie Finn Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Group Theory + The Early Bird Band - A Jazz North East ‘Schmazz’ double bill @ The Jazz Café - February 15

Daniel Garel (Alto Sax); Ollie Farley (guitar);  Dylan Purches (bass);  Tristan Bacon (drums)
(Review/photos courtesy of Ken Drew)
Group Theory is a quartet of students (some are now ex-students) from Durham, all members of the University’s award-winning Big Band, but this the small group format gives them the opportunity to write and perform new compositions. They play a mix of imaginatively interpreted jazz standards alongside original compositions, mainly from the pen of alto saxophonist Daniel Garel.
The intro was a lively piece (Asymmetry?) by Garel which had a distinctly bluesy feel, followed by a tune with a strong groove, blues-tinged also, with an interesting time signature/rhythm, over which sax and guitar soloed.  Then a slow & melodic tune to take things down a bit, sax-led throughout.  To me, it was reminiscent of the laid-back style found in Duke’s Far East Suite. Nicely done, and a pleasingly slow pace.
Next Circling Outwards which was borne out of  Garel’s experimental drums/sax duo with Bacon on drums.  Garel remarked that he now looks back with surprise at this duo playing at such an event – but it was edgy and fun!  The next piece emerged from that duo, now re-worked into the quartet’s repertoire.   This was another fine piece, with lots of applause for the sax & guitar solos, perfectly backed by drums & bass.

The next piece to follow was, in fact, a première.  Dreamlike in pace and rhythm, with gentle drum accompanying moving through a depiction of the reaction to losing someone then returning to a peaceful pace. The guitar sequence was subtly echoed and nicely blues-tinged.  At the end, a few seconds of silence preceded the audience’s keen applause. Next up – a guest guitarist! Francis Tulip took to the stage to play a quick standard. After a brief intro, it quickly went into an extended nicely-paced solo from Tulip showing his dexterity along the fretboard, followed by a sax solo – at a fair pace too. Then to an energetic drum break, and close. 

The final tune:  Funk in Vermicelli (or was it Pumpkin Vermicelli or something similar? ). Again, interesting rhythms, quite angular both initially and again towards the end.  With an excellent sax solo then guitar solo, concluding with sax above the distinctly angular rhythm. Quite a varied piece, but hung together well.

So, a much appreciated all-round performance by Group Theory – their all-original compositions sounding very fresh, melodic and varied, with a good vibe to them all. 
-----
Alex Thompson (alto); James Metcalf (flugel, tpt); Thomas  Henry (guitar); Ben Lawrence (piano);  Alex Shipsey (bass);   Dylan Thompson (drums); Paul Edis (MD, sax, flute)
Previous to that, we heard from the Early Bird Band which was originally established by pianist Paul Edis (their MD) as a rehearsal group at Newcastle’s Lit & Phil, with all the members being in their teens. Also playing a mix of standards and originals - that they are increasingly in demand for ‘regular’ gigs beyond their regular rehearsals.  Paul Edis did remark tonight that it seemed to be the golden period of this second generation of Early Bird Band (the first incarnation supported Laura Jurd at Sage Gateshead) since they each have to move on at some stage.  He also remarked that we’d hear 3 or 4  World Premieres tonight, played by some of the finest emerging talent in the North East.  

First off, a lively tune (by Kenny Dorham, transcribed by Metcalf) with a good vibe to it providing a nice lively start.  Brief solos from the front line got us in the mood for what’s to come, as all seemed to be on-form from the start.  Next, Clouded Hills - Alex’s Thompson’s ballad with fine solos from Thompson on alto, Metcalf on flugel and Henry on guitar. Edis moved to flute for this one.  Then a composition by the pianist Ben Lawrence, but as yet it is not named. With a feel-good vibe, it has a nice melody with plenty room for solos from Lawrence himself, and Metcalf on flugel. 

Next was Dorian Atmosphere.  A loosely scored piece to provide opportunities for some improvisation.  With a loose feel, and some funky sections it gave (according to Edis) “an insight into the minds of Teenagers “.  Well, that’s one way to look at it, but it came together well, and all involved played very confidently. A very adventurous and progressive piece for such a young set of players.

Lastly - a Mingus tune, also transcribed by Metcalf. It was another quick and lively one, a good all-rounder to finish on.  Briefish solos were taken around the band, keeping it very lively, including a welcome and very enthusiastic drum solo from Dylan Thompson.  He may have been hidden at the back, but he made his presence felt!!  

In all, it was a good opportunity to see two bands showcasing what young developing musicians can do, as an ensemble and individually.
Ken

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