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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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sun 15: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm.
Sun 15: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Hannah Brine Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00.

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.br/> Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

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.

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, May 16, 2020

CD Review: Ron Davis' Symphronica - Instrumental Music Liberation Front

Ron Davis (piano); Kevin Barrett (guitars/ loops); Aline Homzy, Brielle Goheen (violins); Mike Downes/Louis Simào (bass); Steve Heathcoate (drums/perc.); Laurence Schaufele (viola); Beth Silver (cello).

Ron Davis is a man with a mission - to liberate instrumental music. He points out that the history of western music is one of the instrumental living in harmony with the vocal whilst also stressing that, in recent years, instrumental music has become almost invisible in comparison to vocal music.

This is an interesting opinion and one that I am sure many, myself included, will contest.

Certainly the pop world is 99% vocally loaded but this is nothing new. You only have to go back to the 1940s when the then President of the American Federation of Musicians James Petrillo called the first of two recording bans which saw musicians sidelined from the studios and led to singers such as Sinatra recording with choirs as opposed to bands and orchestras. The Sinatra phenomenon led the way for vocalists such as Como, Laine, Mitchell, Ray, Elvis and, ultimately, The Beatles to sound the death knell for, with the occasional exception - The Shadows and the occasional trad band - instrumental combos in the charts.

However, the jazz world is a wholly different ball game and jazz instrumentals far outnumber jazz vocal recordings. Not that I'm advocating one against the other - just making an observation.

Ron Davis' Symphronica not only seeks equality for instrumental music but he also attempts to merge jazz with classical music(s), i.e. European, Québecois, Sephardic, Manouche etc.

Do they succeed? I think they do. Rather than approaching this with any pre-conceived ideas, I came to this as an album to listen to and enjoy rather than study the blurb which may have put me off from even listening to it! I'm glad I didn't. There's some lovely piano playing from Davis - his Sergio's Shuffle, inspired by Prokofiev, is pure barrel-house - and some fine fiddling from Homzy. Brahms, Django, Stravinsky and Handel are just some of the other 'names' that figure in the mix - Paul Whiteman it isn't!

It's currently available via the usual suspects or, if you live in Canada, a record store near you (if there is one and it's open!)
Lance

1 comment :

Ron Davis said...

I want to thank you for your review of my new record "Instrumental Music Liberation Front" on bebop spoken here. Not because it was complimentary. That's a bonus. Rather because it was crafted with such thought. I'm grateful that you took the time and devoted the mindshare to put it into words.

So, thank you.

I should add that I agree with your point about jazz being predominantly instrumental at present. My greater point is that jazz itself (like classical - also predominantly instrumental) has been squeezed out of the popular music marketplace. As you know, jazz was THE popular music for many decades. Then, although it had to make room for Elvis, The Beatles and their successors, it remained fairly present in the 60s and 70s (Herbie, Miles and others had pop chart hits). Once the 80s come along however, boom. Jazz becomes marginalized. So, while jazz today may be 75% (let's say) instrumental, it holds only 2% of the listening market.

I could go on and on, but I shall spare you my ranting.

Keep up the great work on your blog. Please look me up if you are ever in Toronto. Pints are on me.

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