Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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.

Blog Archive