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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.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Triptych @ The Cherry Tree, July 7

Paul Edis (piano), Paul Susans (double bass) & Rob Walker (drums/glass).
(Review by JC).
Having just returned from a trip around the south of Italy which was big on scenery and art but with some so-so food and completely free of live jazz, a trip to the Cherry Tree seemed a very good way to fill these gaps. The band was advertised as the Paul Edis Trio, which is always a good session and even though it turned out not to be that Paul Edis Trio, I was equally happy to discover it was another Trio with Edis called Triptych, as I'd read about this group but not heard it.

Paul began the session by reading out a definition of a triptych which I couldn't quite hear but looking it up afterwards it said that a triptych 'is a work of art that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open'. Well there were certainly three of them and they were on open display but there was nothing carved about their playing which was fully alive. I'd seen a few triptychs on my Italian travels that were mainly 14th century but with a bit too much gold leaf bling and religious imagery to fit this group. I'd say musically this Triptych was more a version of Hieronymus Bosch (The Garden of Earthly Delights) with their diversity of musical ideas or Francis Bacon (take your pick) with tricky twisted time signatures.
The band started in philosophical mode asking How High the Moon? and they examined this question in an expert musical fashion in 7/8 time from a number of different angles with piano and bass getting into detailed discussion of the finer points. Then Edis continued his project of rescuing tunes sanitised by the pop world with a beautifully structured version of Close to You that had all three musicians adding their solo touches. The next piece was announced as an 'old English folk song connected with Royalty' and it took a few bars to put a name to Greensleeves as it was delicately put through the band's creative time signature mixer. Paul Susans played a fine bass solo and Rob Walker added some idiosyncratic flourishes including playing his drink (which from a distance looked like Campari and Soda) with a drumstick. Apparently this tune was supposed to have composed by Henry VIII but possibly the Cole Porter of the time felt it was wise not to argue the writing credit.
Amongst other tunes was Vernon Duke's I Can't Get Started ending with the three soloing together followed by a trip even further back through time to the Dark Ages, a Paul Edis composition written for the group. This was a rich, moody piece which belied the reputation of this historical period as an artistic wasteland. Staying in the past, the folk song English Country Garden got the up to the minute Triptych treatment with added blues. Fall by Miles Davis, How About You and Alice in One D Land (was Edis a tabloid sub-ed in another life?) kept up the superb musicianship. Sadly, I had to leave during the second half but this is another brilliantly creative, but different, trio to go with at least two other trios Paul Edis is involved in (is that a triptych of trios?).
The food as always provided the perfect background to the music with a rare sighting on a menu, sea trout, being a stand out dish. And its worth giving a mention to the very pleasantly professional staff. A great night.

JC

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