Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Sunday, June 07, 2015

CD Review: Maria Schneider Orchestra – The Thompson Fields.

(Review by David Brownlow).
The Thompson Fields is Maria Schneider’s eighth production for the  ArtistShare label and she has certainly come a long way in her career since she worked as Gil Evans’ Assistant in the mid 80s. She is an extremely talented composer who is a master of harmony, and a formidable arranger who fully utilises all the tone - colours provided by her nineteen piece Big Band with all the usual Reeds, Brass, and Rhythm sections but without recourse to electronic instruments as Gil himself did in his latter years.
Maria’s inspiration for the eight tracks comes from her love of the natural world of her home environment in Minnesota. The songs reflect the beauty of the “sights, sounds and smells of nature’s bounty.” This is quasi-classical through-composed music played by jazz musicians with jazz solos from outstanding players such as Scott Robinson, Frank Kimbrough and Marshall Gilkes. The charts are all beautifully played with a high standard of musicianship as a “given.”
Walking By Flashlight – inspired by a poem by Ted Koosner - is meditative and wistful with a warm solo from Scott Robinson on alto clarinet. The Monarch and the Milkweed is meandering, reflective piece with an astonishing trombone solo from Marshall Gilkes and a thoughtful flowing one from Greg Gisbert on fluegelhorn. The piece builds throughout the twelve minute performance culminating in a passage where the soloists improvise together. Arbiters of Evolution inspires Maria by the exotic displays and behaviours of the extraordinary Birds of Paradise of New Guinea. Here, a strong framework supports beautiful solos from Donny McCaslin and Scott Robinson. A highlight of the album The Thompson Fields is a meandering piece which features some gorgeous writing for brass, together with piano and guitar solos which complement the composer’s feel for the open prairies. Home opens chorale-like with lovely Evans-esque harmonies. Rich Perry’s tenor solo continues the contemplative mood. This piece is dedicated to George Wein whose Newport Jazz Festival gave Maria many career opportunities. 
Nimbus is a brooding, threatening song in a minor mood with dissonance throughout, especially in Steve Wilson’s alto solo. This bleak, dramatic background is at times reminiscent of Gil Evans’ The Barbara Song and is inspired by the occasion when a tornado headed towards Maria’s home and the resulting reactions of herself and her parents.
A Potter’s Song is a moving tribute to recently deceased trumpeter Laurie Frink – a long-time associate in Maria’s band. This features the accordion of Gary Versace and is the stand-out track for me. The melody and chord sequence take many unexpected turns, but each one resolves harmonically and “right.” The final track Lembranca is Maria’s take on Paulo Moura and his Samba School in Rio de Janeiro. This thirteen and a half minute long piece features a solo from trombonist Ryan Keberle in an energetic opening segment full of dynamic percussion work which segues into a calm contrasting section with a very listenable melodic bass solo from Jay Anderson. This leads to a quiet conclusion to all the excitement.
There has been a huge amount of work required to produce such an album as this and the funding for the project has come from the many participants in the ArtistShare fan base. The CD itself comes in a lavish hard-backed case with outstanding artwork and photographs illustrating the flora and fauna of Maria’s homeland area and is available from ArtistShare.
David B.
Maria Schneider (Conductor, Composer & Arranger) Steve Wilson, Dave Pietro, Rich Perry, Donny McCaslin. Scott Robinson (Reeds). Tony Kadleck, Greg Gisbert, Augie Haas, Mike Rodriguez, Keith O’Quinn, Ryan Keberle, Marshall Gilkes, George Flynn, (Brass).Gary Versace (Accordion), Lage Lund (Guitar) Frank Kimbrough (Piano) Jay Anderson (Bass), Clarence Penn (Dms) Rogerio Boccato (Percussion)

No comments :

Blog Archive