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Bebop Spoken There

James Brandon Lewis: "Sometimes I'm not thinking about anything other than blowing the paint off the walls, and other times I'm narrating a story about my life." - (DownBeat 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

15516 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 536 of them this year alone and, so far, 25 this month (June 7).

From This Moment On ...

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: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Jeffrey Hewer @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington. 6:00-8:00pm. Free.
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: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
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.
Sun 11: Jam No. 19 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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

Tue 13: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 13: Infusion Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 13: Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv.).

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 14: NUJO Final Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcastle. 6:30pm. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra's final jam session of the academic year. All welcome.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 15: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 15: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Thu 15: Alexander Ord Trio @ Tynedale Beer & Cider Festival, Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. Evening, time TBC.
Thu 15: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. Time TBC.
Thu 15: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

CD Reviews: Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane and Matthew (son of Jimmy) Garrison - In Movement. Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow - Andando el Tiempo.

 (Review by Steven T)
When I was offered a pair of ECM albums to review I declared upfront that I have a love/hate relationship with the label. I generally hate them but occasionally stumble across one I really like.
Lightweight and boring, meaningless meanderings and pointless doodling claim the no camp, but believers, who like the European classicism, will point out that it's all done with incredible taste, which could be a contradiction in terms.
In a sense, it's an easy review since most people won't take a blind bit of notice; they'll either already have them or couldn't be paid to take them for fear of contaminating their collection.
This pair didn't quite fit my usual criteria; I couldn't say I hate the Carla Bley insomuch as I don't care sufficiently, which may be worse. So far, I don't particularly love the Jack DeJohnette, though there's a lot about it I really like, and perhaps room for that to grow through repeated listening.   
When I first saw the Bley album I thought I already had it but, following exploration, realised that the album sleeve is almost identical to her previous album, Trios. I couldn't remember anything about it and when I couldn't find it I realised I must have sold it.
In the spiel, it claims that the album (Trios) 'further reveals itself each and every listen' which I mustn't have given it the opportunity to do. We all know that some music, often the best music, requires repeated listening, which sneaks up on you, and we all pour scorn on music you hear twenty seconds of on the radio and then can't get it out of your head. But how many times do you need to play something before you can say you just don't like it? And how much music are you missing out on while you persevere? I use the power of three from the 'charmed' girls (which I watch for the intelligent scripts, innovative direction and quality acting).
I've been listening to lots of strange and varied music for many years and if I haven't got it after three plays, that's it. It's not an exact science and the odd thing may slip through but it's the best system I've come up with.
The claim is that Bley is more composer than pianist, though she's blissfully ignorant about right or wrong ways of writing songs, and this is why she plays less notes; the music is big band reduced to a trio and perfect chamber music. But comparisons to Duke, Monk, Miles and Mingus are just wishful thinking on a grand scale.
Sheppard is great but there are lots of his own albums available. A legendary British guitarist visiting the North East claimed ECM label boss Manfred Eicker wants music to listen to on a Norwegian mountain top, and a lot of it sounds like horns blowing down the fjords, though it could do with a bit more rape and pillage. 
The Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane are covers of Trane senior, Miles and Earth Wind and Fire at their funkiest best, I'd have bought this anyway, even before I found out bass guitarist Matthew Garrison is son of bass player Jimmy from Ravi' fathers most celebrated group.
'No pressure then' could go on Ravi Coltrane' headstone and you have to admire him for piling it on playing with these two. The shared history and anticipation of the blending of tradition and innovation are palpable and it's to their credit that, while the earth doesn't move, they just about pull it off.
Couple of slowies to kick off though Trane senior's Alabama is far from slight.
'Two Jimmys' (Garrison and Hendrix) picks up the pace with a pumping five string bass line, hi-hat  and some Hendrixesque soundscapes from Garrison junior's electronic looping evoking mid/late sixties hippiedom. Just before the four minute mark, sparse, syncopated drumming teases the listener into thinking it will kick in fully but as subtly as it builds, it fades leaving you wanting more.
DeJohnette switches to keyboards for Kind of Blue's almost masterpiece Blue in Green with the music, as on all the covers, sneaking in and out of the song form, but it's a disappointment, though a bold statement to use 'hallowed material' as an interlude.
The more you wanted after 'two Jimmys' comes in the form of Serpentine Fire, best track on EWFs finest album. A short bass intro brings in bass drum, bass guitar growling once again and the bass drum is back in, this time with sax. After a few subtle hints, three minutes in we get the familiar melody from the source material before a great sax solo and then back to the melody. No pressure but what a fine player Ravi is and his solo albums, without exception, are well worth it, but don't expect your world to change.
Rashied is a tribute to Rashied Ali who did a duet album with Trane senior in his late period called Interstellar Space. It's also a duet with drums and Ravi playing impressive sopranino and is livelier than I remember Interstellar Space, though I probably need to revisit it. An album may be too much and most Joe Lovano albums seem to have a track of drums/ sax duet which works well.
It's back to the piano for DeJohnette on album closer 'Soulful Ballad' which similarly doesn't work. Ironic that the tracks which work the least are those with the Bley format of piano, bass and sax.
The album claims to have a very C21st sound which isn't locked in to any genre, which makes it difficult for the layperson to review, with so little to relate it to. By way of having a go: Weather Report, and Miroslav Vitous ' ECM albums are ones I've particularly enjoyed and, would you believe Led Zeppelin circa fourth album for shared sonic soundscapes; check out John Bonham' drums on 'when the levee breaks' . 
Bley will only be of interest to followers of the artist and/ or label while anybody who likes ECM, Ravi and/or Jack DeJohnette, or is in to the whole Trane oeuvre, will want to check out the latter. Anybody who isn't familiar with ECM should certainly give it a go and you could do worse - much worse - than start here.
Steve T.
Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison - In Movement available now on ECM 2488.
Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow - Andando el Tiempo available now on ECM 2487.


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