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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

CD Review: Spirits Up Above The Rahsaan Roland Kirk Anthology The Atlantic Years 1965-1976 Rahsaan Roland Kirk

(Review by Russell).
Spirits Up Above is a timely release. December 2012 marks the thirty fifth anniversary of the death of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Rhino Records’ double CD surveys the Whistleman’s recorded output for the Atlantic record label over a thirteen year period up to the year before his untimely death. Studio cuts and in concert performances remind the listener of the constants in Kirk’s work; respect for the tradition (New Orleans to Ellington to Mingus to Coltrane), the church, the blues, swing, bop, excellent sidemen – especially the pianists. 

Key albums Here Comes the Whistleman, The Inflated Tear, Blacknuss, Volunteered Slavery and The Case of the Three-Sided Dream in Audio Color make for a cornucopia of riches. 
The selected sides serve as a good introduction to Kirk the instrumentalist; The Black and Crazy Blues, The Inflated Tear, Lovellevelliloqui, A Tribute to John Coltrane, Blacknuss and Portrait of Those Beautiful Ladies. To describe Kirk as a multi instrumentalist doesn’t tell half the story. On Something for Trane That Trane Could Have Said from the album Natural Black Inventions: Roots Strata Kirk plays tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch, clarinet, flute, Bb clarinet, Eb clarinet, pipes, harmonium, piccolo, bass drums, thundersheet, cymbal bells, music box, palms, timpani, gong and bird sounds! 
Swinging blues piano features across the twenty two tracks from first call players Lonnie Liston Smith, Jaki Byard, Ron Burton, Hank Jones (Do Nothin’ Till You Here From Me with old school tenor from Kirk) and Hilton Ruiz. Those fortunate to have heard Kirk live will tell you it was an unforgettable experience - Newcastle 1976 was one such occasion – and it is, perhaps, the in concert tracks on this new release that give the best indication of Kirk’s visceral stage presence and  performance. Kirk on vinyl is regularly on the turntable of this reviewer. Kirk on CD is the next best thing and Spirits Up Above on Rhino Records with liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre is released on Saturday 18th August. Heartily recommended.
Russell.                        

1 comment :

Lance said...

Russell, as one who is also fortunate to have heard
Roland Kirk live (in his pre Rahsaan days i.e. 1960s when he was unhampered by disability)I can concur that this man live was an incredible performer.
I heard him at one of the Durham colleges and, to this day, it is on my list of all time greatest concerts.

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