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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 2024.

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...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Friday, October 04, 2019

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: Somersaults and Liber Musika @ The Black Swan Bar - October 3

Somersaults: Toby Delius (reeds); Olie Brice (bass); Mark Sanders (drums)
(Review by Steve H/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew).

The third Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music (NFJIM) got off to an absolute flyer! Two contrasting bands linked by their ability to improvise and create spontaneous and stimulating music.

Somersaults, I assume, are so named because that is musically what they perform. Free jazz acrobats performing on the high wire of improvisation with no safety net in sight. Breath-taking stuff from the off - pile driving, exhilarating, bursting with innovation. You could almost see the ideas bounce off the trio as they interacted with one another.

To label Mark Sanders a drummer would be the equivalent of calling Capability Brown a gardener. The percussionist employs a vast range of tools, bells and whistles to create a magical soundscape and a great visual spectacle.

Olie Brice on bass really seems to attack the instrument with gusto producing mesmerising bass lines and looked like he was 100% immersed in what the band were doing.

This was the first time I had seen Tobias Delius and he blew me away with his sheer dynamism and enthusiasm not only on sax and clarinet but also with the occasional vocal squeal. Strutting and dancing around the stage like a possessed witchdoctor mid spell, he conjured up dramatic powerful storms of notes although amongst the whirlwind the occasional subtle clarinet solo would emerge.

A great start to the NFJIM with the audience head over heels in appreciation. The bar (of the non-alcoholic variety) had been set very high for the forthcoming weekend.   
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Liber Musika: Faye MacCalman (clarinet); John Garner (violin/ viola); John Pope (bass); Will Hammond (vibes/percussion)

Earlier in the evening John Pope’s latest creation, Liber Musika, got things away nicely. John created this band at this year’s Sage Summer Studio. Comprising reeds, strings, vibes and clarinet, after the first number I was wondering where the drummer was before John explained that the idea for the band was inspired by seeing Anthony Braxton’s drummerless quartet earlier this year.

Despite the lack of a drum there was still plenty of plucking, tapping and clapping to provide a percussive effect. John explained that the tunes had no titles only numbers it turned that these numbers were 1 to 5 but they were played not in numerical sequence (it transpired that the order of the tunes was 3,2,1,5 and finally 4). I found the music more contemporary classical than free jazz but the festival is not billed as purely jazz so that is fair enough. Most of the numbers seemed rather sombre every so often there would a welcome burst of energy. The unique combination of instruments together with the way the musicians interacted with one another made the whole performance fascinating and thought provoking and it will be interesting to see how the project progresses in the future.
Steve H.
Photo link.

1 comment :

Pam said...

OUTSTANDING EVENT
Genuine improvisation by talented musicians. WONDERFUL NIGHT

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