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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

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).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

CD Review: Flying Machines.

Alex Munk (gtr); Matt Robinson (pno/keys); Conor Chaplin (el. bs.); Dave Hamblett (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Faultless musicianship? - without doubt! These guys really do create the image that they and their 'machines' are flying. Which, given that Munk's father, Roger Munk, was a renowned expert and world leader in the field of lighter than air technology, is no less than we would expect.
Centred on Munk's unique compositional approach, Flying Machines fuse visceral improvisation with anthemic melodies and lusciously textured soundscapes.
It's a sound shot, I'm told, of the 'here and now' of London's cutting-edge music scene, a decadent mash up of prog rock energy, free-wheeling improvisations and ambient meditations that never detract from the emotive lyricism at the music's core.
Well, who am I to argue with that? Although I might if I knew what it meant!.
Munk, is a fine guitarist and he shows a lyrical approach that, I suppose, encompasses the above elements without hurting anyone and, seeing as they are all his compositions, he does them justice - after all, you don't invent a game to get beat at it.
It's one of those discs that repeated listening brings out previously missed nuances; the unusual twist in the solo, the bass and drum interaction, the keyboard moments.
The blurb suggests a nod in the direction of Metheny and Mike Walker and you can hear it.
The CD is launched at The Vortex on October 14 and they play the Green Note as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival.
Next year they tour reaching Newcastle on February 28 for a JNE gig although this gig doesn't appear on the JNE or the FM website so maybe some clarification is required?
A word of warning - unless you have 20-20 vision the album notes are nearly unreadable and I hope prospective buyers don't judge a CD by its cover.
So what's new?
Lance.

1 comment :

Hugh said...

Must have missed this review first time around. I think these guys have moved forward with their latest offering. Interesting that Mike Walker is mentioned...

... I very much thought the same thing when listening to New Life - quite "Impossible Gentlemenly" in places.

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