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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 21: Jason Holcomb Jazz Ensemble @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. A 'Sunderland Year of Music' event.
Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

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

Saturday, February 29, 2020

John Garner & Paul Edis: The Music of Bill Evans @ The Gala Theatre, Durham - Feb 28

John Garner (violin); Paul Edis (piano)
(Review by Russell/photos courtesy of Malcolm Sinclair)

A sell out weeks in advance is surely some indication of what was in store. The Gala's audience knows a good thing when it sees/hears one and today's lunchtime concert focussing on the music of Bill Evans more than lived up to expectations. Today's musicians - John Garner and Paul Edis - share an enthusiasm for the American pianist's compositions and with the addition of a number of other selections the capacity audience hung on every note.

Violinist John Garner's cv is rather impressive. A graduate of the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall, Garner's performance experience is extensive and varied. In the jazz world Garner has worked with the likes of Chris Potter, Liam Noble and Gareth Lockrane. Pianist Paul Edis needs little introduction - musician, educator, promoter (including the Gala's monthly jazz concert series!).

Today's programme opened with Bill Evans' Re: Person I Knew (an anagram of the name of the record producer Orrin Keepnews). Garner opted to perform unampilfied which demanded maximum concentration of the lunchtime audience. The Garner-Edis partnership dovetailed seamlessly across sixty minutes or so of sublime music performed with elan. Edis offered anecdotes of the duo's subject sketching a flawed figure (drug misuse) who left an enduring musical legacy. 

Edis re-ignited speculation that the writing credit for Nardis could/should have gone to Evans rather than Miles Davis but, as was the way with such things, Miles Dewey Davis, as one of the most famous names in jazz, then and now, called the shots and banked the royalities. Edis' For Bill required no explanation, Garner's Sardines did but, following its world premiere performance, MC Edis forgot to reveal its connection (however tenuous) with their subject, Bill Evans! 

Evans B Minor Waltz, Leonard Bernstein's Lucky to be Me, the set list continued to offer riches; Garner's enviable classical technique, Edis' equal command of his chosen instrument (an authoritative left hand, occasional stride patterns), the ease of interplay between the two musicians. Time was pressing but time enough to close a marvellous afternoon of jazz with Children's Play Song
Russell           

2 comments :

JERRY said...

Sardines is almost an anagram of Nardis - with which (apparently) it shares certain musical similarities. Evans clearly liked anagrams too, as RE:Person I Knew, shows. P.S. Steve T, I had no insider help with this solution (not deduction, just an English teacher's guess!)

Brian E said...

This was a sublime, magical performance, which had the audience spellbound for the full 60+ minutes. It must rank as one of the best of the innumerable inspiring concerts the Gala lunchtime audience has been treated to over the past 5 years (or more), a fitting farewell from Paul as he leaves for what used to be known to musicians as 'the big smoke'.

Many in the audience left asking when they would have the opportunity to hear him again. Well, it's not that long. He's playing with 'his' Triptych trio at Gateshead Jazz 2020 festival at the Sage on Friday 20th March. See no doubt a link on the BBSP site. And he's doing a solo concert at the Gala on Friday 26th June.

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