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Bebop Spoken There

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Ann Braithwaite (Braithwaite & Katz Communications) You’re the BEST!

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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.

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, March 13, 2017

Vyamnikal @ The Egdirb (Bridge) March 12

Kit Downes (Harmonium); Tom Challenger (Tenor Saxophone)
(Review by Steve H/Photo courtesy of Ken Drew) 
The evening began with Kit Downes introducing The ’Vyamnikal’ project. To summarise, the project ran from October 2014; it involved Kit and Tom travelling to local Suffolk churches and improvising with the acoustics of the building and the assorted organs in whatever state of repair they happened to be in. After a year, the duo had accumulated 40 hours of recordings and this has been edited down to 1 hour to produce a new CD. To keep things real, the pair decide to play The Bridge venue ‘back to front’ so that the instrumentalists were in front of the bar at the back of the room meaning the audience were facing the rear of the room with the stage behind them now being used for additional seating. Although disorientating at first, I actually think this about turn added to the atmosphere of the proceedings.

The combination of the harmonium and saxophone created a spooky effect which I can imagine if played in an empty church could become quite creepy. The music is dark and ambient with the occasional light melodious flourish by Challenger on saxophone. Downes also played a homemade instrument which seemed to comprise of the just the neck of a cello.  At some point during the performance, I think most of the audience had definitely slipped into ‘the zone’ to a greater or lesser extent. At the completion of their very well received set, the charming pair engaged in a very enthusiastic Q&A. Maybe as a show of their appreciation for the keen audience interest, or maybe as a way to shut people up, the duo performed one more piece as an encore to complete a fascinating evening.

Steve H

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Ecin weiver!
CJ

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