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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17346 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 630 of them this year alone and, so far, 35 this month (Sept. 11).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.

Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Jude Murphy, Steve Chambers & Sid White @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Panharmonia @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Swing Manouche @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: John Hallam with the James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert!

Tue 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £13.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Indian Summer Afternoon Tea’.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
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: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

An Evening with Steve Beresford: JNE @ the Lit & Phil - June 16

(© Ken Drew)
Steve Beresford (prepared piano, devices & toys); John Butcher (tenor/soprano saxes); Hannah Marshall (cello); Andy Hamilton (interviewer)

The title of a book of conversations between Beresford and Andy Hamilton (author) Pianos, Toys, Music and Noise sums up the evening very nicely which was presented in three parts.


The first set was solo piano by Beresford, who surprisingly, has only visited Newcastle infrequently. Very quickly Beresford showed his musicality and dexterity on the keyboard and within the first minute it was apparent that, in certain areas of the piano's range, the piano was indeed a prepared piano. 

Soon he was reaching inside to adjust and sometimes start various devices, scraping the strings with postcards or wood blocks, plucking and stroking the strings with bare hands, whilst often simultaneously playing notes on the keyboard with varying tonal results before proceeding to incorporate voice-activated toys, and tape recorders playing into open strings, plus whistles ..... all to the overall effect of producing a sonic landscape with a huge mix of textures and rhythms.


Maybe it was a depiction of a piano being hauled over rocks close to a busy beach whilst someone was attempting to play it, but hey, each to his own and as they say, beauty (or surprise and intrigue) is in the eye (ear) of the beholder. But his technique, inventiveness and passion were unquestionably joyous and engaging.


He briefly reverted back to the keyboard before playing the strings directly with his fingers then incorporating more toys into the mix. Overall this solo performance easily showed Beresford’s drive and ability to give a freshly improvised diverse and complex sonic experience.


The second set brought Butcher, Marshall and Beresford to the stage, who played a wonderful set of freely improvised music. Starting off with individual percussive effects, the piece developed with no significant 'leader' as such, just occasional jumping off points thrown in by any and each of the players.  


Beresford spent more time at the keyboard (although not resisting the temptation to make use of the piano lid too!) but still reached in to entice other sounds from inside the piano. Butcher and Marshall both showing diversity and dexterity from their instruments. Again, it was sonically driven. Once or twice there was a near-outbreak of a recognisable tune or riff, but maybe I was mistaken as these were so fleeting, and if so, were well disguised. An excellent set played to a very attentive and receptive audience, which was quite sizeable for a Friday evening in Newcastle, and a great evening for those attending and witnessing such serious fun.  


The two musical sets were preceded by an interview conducted by Andy Hamilton (author of the book mentioned earlier) with Steve Beresford. Not a formal interview by any means, more of a chat which provided the opportunity to hear some of Beresford’s background and reminiscences of playing  with various musicians of varying styles and temperament.  


Beresford noted that whilst free improvisation is often referred to as 'improv'  it is (for him) better termed  'spontaneous music'  since he very much dislikes the casual term 'improv'.  True improvisation is not premeditated, and he enjoys the moments when things go wrong - as is often the case when using electronics as part of a performance. He seems to relish the challenge of finding a way out by thinking on his feet, in real time, whilst keeping both the music and audience engaged. This prompted a quote from Theodore Adorno  'A symphony in which nothing can go wrong, is a symphony in which nothing happens'.  I guess this is where the element of surprise turns into delight!


I find it's always interesting to listen to performers talk about their work, especially in the context of interacting with other performers, or even with the performance space. There is a lot going on which they are fully aware of apart from time itself it would seem, if there is no clock in sight.  Beresford recalls playing in a group, and drawing to a close after playing for some time, which turned out to be just 5 minutes - indicating the performer can be in a different state of mind once fully engaged with the music. He also briefly mentioned there is no pre-planning with other players, there is usually very little discussion of where to start or how it might flow. And rarely thinks ahead of what to play next - it is all in the moment.  Quite a fascinating insight from a relatively short interview and a useful introduction, setting the context for the two sets which were to follow.

Ken Drew

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