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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Friday, September 14, 2018

Triptych @ The Fox, Hexham – Sept. 11

Paul Susans ( bass); Rob Walker (drums); Paul Edis (piano/clarinet). (Review/photos by Jerry E)

On the one hand, you never know what to expect form Triptych: self-proclaimed “genre-busters”, you may be cosy with Bacharach and David one minute (arranged for jazz, of course) and on the 12th Moon of Venus the next. On the other hand, you know exactly what to expect from Triptych: three top musicians, each capable of scintillating solos and composers in their own right, who visibly enjoy gigging live together and will always deliver a show where you may not know where it is going, but you know it will be great!

Before I go into more detail, a few words about the venue. I had never been to The Fox for a jazz gig before and, on entering, wondered how it could work. It’s basically open-plan, with a pool-table round the corner and, on the night, an England match on the TV. Seemed like a lot of competition for live jazz! In the event, the TV’s were switched off, the pool-players left and all was well. The pub has friendly staff, a nice atmosphere, 3 ales on in the front bar and (my missus loved this) fresh flowers in the bar and in the ladies loo (she informed me)! Comfortable!
After Mike (the organiser) introduced the band we were into Montage – an Edis original which I am familiar with from his second solo piano CD. A beautiful piece either way but, to be honest, I prefer the clean sound of solo piano. The same applies to tunes like Vignette which I first heard as a solo piece and later by the sextet. Perhaps I’m a piano man at heart?

Moonlight in Vermont followed, with Edis on clarinet and then, “back-to-back,” Paul Susans’ original, 12th Moon of Venus. Apparently there is no 12th moon, so I’m not sure what is going on there! The tune shone, anyway!

We then had the 73 Suite which featured at the Gosforth Civic Theatre gig in May. The set-list then was broadly the same as here, but (you never know what to expect) every number still took me by surprise! Here, returning to my comments about solo piano pieces, I really enjoyed hearing Cerebral in the mix with what I think of as the melody being played on bass guitar! The “suite” concept made for even more variety of pace, volume and style – down to solo piano at one point then moving through growly, distorted bass (lots going on with Paul Susans’ multi-pedal board here, and elsewhere on the evening) to (my notes) “rock mode, very loud, big build-up, crescendo, STOP!” The snappiest of snap endings to a great first set.

The second set began with Fragmented Suite (as played at GIJF 2018) consisting of three originals: Murmuration (Edis), Dr. Gonzo (Susans) and Dark Ages (Walker). “Original” often indicates a piece of music composed by someone who is not famous yet. I prefer the following definition for these guys: not dependent on other people's ideas; inventive or novel.

Individually, none of the above pieces can be assigned to a genre and labelled; collectively they amaze, delight and (possibly) disturb! Dark Ages is (for me again) the stand-out piece of the evening: unbelievably dark and atmospheric with Walker’s percussion (sadly no udu drum this time!), Edis’ clarinet and Susans’ bowed bass (with a loop and possibly other effects from the magic pedal-board) building up an incantatory magic which haunts long after the event.

How to follow that? With, “back-to-back,” The Wall (or was that The Waal?) and Mr Blister – that’s how. The former, at Gosforth, was badged A69, or some such, and is a driving, melodic (at times, dare I say, quite poppy) number from Susans. The latter is raucous, loud, infectiously funky and encapsulates an almost classical piano solo midway (you never know what to expect!).

The encore – a perfect antidote to Dark Ages – was another original, the optimistic belter entitled Half Full, where Edis, and the audience, really had a ball.

For Triptych, and for The Fox, keep your eyes on Bebop listings then “view halloo and tally-ho!” Both are worth hunting down.

Jerry.

1 comment :

Steve T said...

Seen this band a couple of times and, despite being a self-confessed piano trio philistine, I've always enjoyed them, but never this much.
Great to have bands that don't just think in terms of verse/chorus/solo or head, solo, solo, solo, solo, head. It's jazz reader, but not as we know it: prog-rock (albeit the jazz end), jazz-rock, jazz-funk, Susans getting lots of Bootsy style noise from his bass, and Lord Paul reminding me, for the first time, of Crusader Joe Smple and even maybe Ramsey Lewis, his clarinet - an instrument I never cared for before I heard Django and Edis - bringing relief, texture and variety.
Totally agree with Paul in his praise of the venue and the organiser for putting this on every month.

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