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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 2023).

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!"

Postage

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - this week only.
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

CD Review:Wolfgang Muthspiel - Driftwood

Wolfgang Muthspiel (guitar); Larry Grenadier (double bass); Brian Blade (drums).
(Review by Hugh Cochrane)
Driftwood, the début CD for ECM as leader from Wolfgang Muthspiel, comes with full jazz credentials and features Larry Grenadier on bass and Brian Blade on drums. This album is the first time that these three musicians have come together as a trio, but Muthspiel has played with each of the other members of the triumvirate individually over many years.
Muthspiel, Austrian by birth, is schooled in both the classical and jazz guitar traditions and as well as his jazz projects, writes for contemporary classical music ensembles. On this disc he plays both acoustic and electric instruments. The disc, recorded in Oslo, is very much in the ECM landscape, and indeed Muthspiel was thinking about Manfred Eicher's sound aesthetic when composing for the album.
The disc has eight tracks, coming in at just over 43 minutes in total. After the darkly melodic first track, Joseph (after fellow Austrian Joe Zawinul) comes the upbeat Uptown. The moody Cambiata follows – it almost feels like we have entered the deserted set of a Western. The tempo hots up again in Highline, with some beautiful bowed bass from Larry Grenadier. The title track, Driftwood, follows - this is a free improvisation with Muthspiel on acoustic guitar. Lichtzelle is a free spirited duet between Muthspiel on electric and Blade on percussion – composed on the spot as Blade had never heard the piece before. Madame Vonn is a ballad composed by Muthspiel for the olympic skier Lindsey Vonn following a terrible crash in a race. The final track Bossa for Michael Brecker is a tribute to the late saxophonist's playing style, much admired by Muthspiel.
The overall feel of this disc is deeply atmospheric, in line with the ECM style and the moody packaging of the product. The subtlety of interplay between the three musicians is very evident. This would be a great gig in the round in Hall 2 at Sage Gateshead (Ros Rigby take note!).
There are plans for a European tour next year by the Dino Saluzzi group. To hear Wolfgang Muthspiel, however, it will be necessary to travel to Australia at the beginning of the forthcoming antipodean spring – shame, eh?
Hugh C.
ECM. Catalogue No. 375 6400 now available.

1 comment :

Russell said...

Yes, it would have been nice to hear Muthspiel in the UK.

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