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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 ...

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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.

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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