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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Revolutionaires @ The Water House, North Road, Durham. 4:00pm. Rock 'n' roll excellence! Line-up inc. Pete Tanton.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Friday, February 12, 2016

CD review: Aruán Ortiz Trio - Hidden Voices

(Review by Alan Law.)
This is a new piano trio album from the Cuban born pianist, violinist composer and arranger Aruán Ortiz .joining him on bass is Eric Revis is and Gerald Cleaver drums.
All new names to me, but a cursory look on Google revealed Ortiz has written music for jazz ensembles, orchestras, dance companies, chamber groups, and feature films. His work incorporates influences from contemporary classical music, Cuban-Haitian rhythms, and avant-garde improvisation
On the composers website there is reference to a recent project in which non musical patterns and ideas were explored as fuel for improvised music.
This may explain some of the titles of the original compositions, which frequently refer to mathematical concepts.
Fractal Sketches starts with a dissonant grooving pattern, augmented by a dramatic percussive left hand with scurrying bass and drums, Open And Close /The Sphinx an Ornette Coleman tune, imaginatively re-interpreted with a cool bass figure periodically giving way to bright classical sounding passages Carribean Vortex/Hidden Voices begins with an unfamiliar clave pattern that becomes a percussion conversation, and the rhythmic drive continues when the trio begin. There is some dissonance involved, however, the pedal point and strong rhythm holds the listener well.
Analytical Symmetry intensity in one area is offset by the other players in this brooding exploration.
Arabesques of a Geometrical Rose (Spring) a spacious meditative piano solo with some gently mind expanding harmonic contrary motion.
Arabesques of a Geometrical Rose (Summer) a compelling hypnotic bassline underscores this very different take on the subject matter.
17 Moments of Liams Moments (or 18) is a brief composition that manages to sound avant garde yet structured, and is curiously evocative.
Joyful noises is a collective textural improvisation, punctuated by occasional timed bold chords. The Monk standard Skippy follows, the theme is there but has been deconstructed and re wrought by this masterfully creative trio.
Uno Dos Tres , Que Paso , is a solo piano piece and the last tune on the album.
It has a simple memorable melody (you can hear the rhythm of the title syllables throughout) that serves as a basis for a beautifully contemplative exposition.
The listening warranted time and my best stereo set up, it’s not something I could get into in the car, but I found it extremely rewarding when I gave the attention it warranted.  
The album is well recorded with a great sounding piano in particular, and if your ear can handle a bit of dissonance there is something deeply impressive here.
The improvised passages are marked by a commitment to the total sound of the music, as well as weapons grade virtuosity, and the effect is a sense of instant composition and arrangement, which is very satisfying in itself. However, I also found myself very engaged emotionally and rather touched on several occasions.
Imaginative, cerebral and very emotionally engaging, I found this a serious, and seriously good, contemporary jazz album.
Alan.
Aruán Ortiz Trio - Hidden Voices is available on Intakt Records.

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