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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

15260 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 279 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (March 29).

From This Moment On ...

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Jambone @ Sage Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (book online). A YMP! event in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 01: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 04: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 04: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Bradley Johnston (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations. Feat. John Pope, Marie Shreer, John Garner.
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 06: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Note earlier start time.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 07: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 07: Finntet + Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion @ Bobik's, Punch Bowl, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.
Fri 07: TBA @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Blind Pig Blues Club.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

CD Review: Rallidae – Turned, And Was

Angela Morris (tenor sax, vocals, composer, lyrics); Alex Samaras (lead vocals); Dustin Carlson (guitar, vocals); Scott Colberg  (bass, vocals); Nico Dann (drums, vocals). 
(Review by Ann Alex).
Following on from their EP Paper Birds, I’m pleased to review Rallidae’s full-length CD, entitled Turned And Was. I loved this recording too, which the band describes as ‘kaleidoscopic’, with ‘effects in turn sweet and unsettling’. Listen out for improvisational jazz, hints of ambiance, African keyboard riffs, wispy noises, New Orleans funeral music, plain chant, musical box sounds, and even singing which reminded me of the wonderful dissonance in many of the songs from The Incredible String Band (remember them from the hippy 1960’s?).

The music will appeal to lovers of improvisational jazz especially, and to all listeners with a wide accepting taste in music. For example, I loved the track Awake, which portrays a state of mind when you cannot sleep but are only half awake.  Tiny bell-like sounds accompany the repeated words ‘the things I wish you’d say are keeping me awake’ with snatches of the words from other voices, and the bass played slowly, ending in a final long tone, when perhaps he did fall asleep at last.
Now I Walk In Beauty has the voices singing a canon with an early music madrigal-like feel, concluding with bell- like music and a drone. The tracks don’t feature the usual jazz solos that we’re used to but there is fine playing from everyone. The other tracks, which I’d describe as a life enhancing style of music, include Drumheller (African piano sound); Take My hand Off The Wheel ( the most jazzy track, with a definite swing, to start with, anyway); Bird (including skilled tenor sax); Compass (new Orleans funeral music with a few quirks); Long Picture (good guitar solo); Sea Ice (clever depiction of coldness with high pitched tones); Still Breathing (builds to a climax, then quietly rounds off the CD well).
Angela Morris wrote all the music and lyrics, and the whole band was involved in the improvisations. Her music has been described as being between avant-jazz and pop. Ms Morris studied composition and is involved in other projects, including co-leading a 17 piece big band.  A lady of very varied talents.
The recording is available as a CD from November 18 and also as a digital download from NYC based Gold Bolus Recordings.

Ann Alex

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