Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

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.

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.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra with Evan Parker & Lol Coxhill @ Gateshead International Jazz Festival

Two events immediately preceeding the performance by GIO proved to be insightful and heartening.
In the Northern Rock Foundation Hall Evan Parker was in conversation with Alyn Shipton (Gateshead Festival's resident interviewer/broadcaster/musician) to discuss his approach to improvisation and his long association with the musical form and its practitioners. Parker remarked, with some pleasure and perhaps a little pride, that he and others have developed ''the scene'' into a global affair. In recent years a collaboration with Spring Heel Jack (John Coxon and Ashley Wales) had opened up new possibilities and developed a new, younger audience. Parker acknowledged that on some occasions the music works brilliantly and at other times less so. The musicians are clearly aware of this and Parker was quick to point out that the audience will communicate its appreciation or conversely show a lack of enthusiasm for a piece of music as it develops. The beauty of the art improvisation is that Parker or others on stage can change the direction of the piece and take it down a different avenue.
Where would the Glasgow Improvisers take us as we moved into Hall Two? The audience, seated in the intimate auditorium, happily accepted the bonus of a short set by a group of young north east musicians keen to try their hand at improvising. The ensemble's tutor was none other than Chris Sharkey. The Gateshead guitarist had earlier in the day been in action with trio VD and on this occasion it was Sharkey the conductor. Three guitarists, two drummers and an alto saxophonist were under his tutelage. Thrust into the spotlight, were they terrified? If they were, it didn't show. Sharkey smiled and coaxed, encouraged and smiled again as his young charges did him and themselves proud. This splendid performance demonstrated just how difficult the art of inprovisation is. Will any of these fine young musicians emerge as the next generation of Sharkeys? Time will tell. The Glasgow Improvisers took to the stage in numbers (as many as twenty one of them - I kept losing count!). The orchestra's guests were none other than reeds legends Evan Parker and Lol Coxhill. Throw in the avuncular George Burt, the ubiquitous Raymond Macdonald (free jazz's Alan Barnes if you will) and Honourary Geordie Graeme Wilson playing baritone saxophone and we were set fair. GIO is a co-operative with co-leaders and no leaders. The music evolved from, perhaps, a brief discussion backstage as to who would take command at any given time. As the occasion demanded one of the ensemble would stand up and direct a passage of the music, seeking to change the tone, add colour, silence an instrument or introduce a new voice. Evan Parker obeyed the democratic structure, only once playing for a concentrated period. Lol Coxhill did little until he too offered more, pausing mid-breath to suggest someone should stop him! Guitarist George Burt jumped into the audience to hand out scribbled notes - a diagram illustrating how a particular piece would/should develop. Fascinating stuff and fun too. Fun? What, these deadly serious improvisers? You would be surprised.
Russell

No comments :

Blog Archive