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Bebop Spoken There

Vadim Neselovskyi, Professor of Jazz Piano, Berklee College of Music: “Every pianist has to deal with a very complex left-hand part at some point. This is the essential pianistic experience – to split your brain into two halves and execute two very different tasks at the same time.” – (Down Beat September 2017).

Roscoe Mitchell: “To me, improvisation is trying to improve your skills so you can make these on-point compositional decisions. That takes practice.” – (Down Beat September 2017)

Archives

Today Friday September 22

Scarborough Jazz Festival - Day one of three.
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Afternoon
Rendezvous Jazz - The Black Horse, Front St., Monkseaton, Whitley Bay NE25 8DP. 1pm. Free.
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Zoe Gilby Quartet - Town Hall, Market Place, Bishop Auckland DL14 7NP. 1pm. £5.
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Evening
Kentucky Cowtippers - Billy Bootleggers, 28 Nelson St., Newcastle NE1 5AN. 9pm. Free.
Sean Noonan: Memorable Sticks - Jazz Café, 25 Pink Lane, Newcastle NE1 5DW. 8pm. £8/£6.
Backyard Rhythm Orchestra + Monkey Puzzle - o2 Academy, Newcastle. Doors 6:30pm. Curfew 10pm.
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Dave Newton & Dean Stockdale - Traveller's Rest, 2 West Auckland Rd., Cockerton, Darlington DL3 9ER. 8:30pm. £10.
Smokin' Spitfires - Forum Music Centre, Borough Rd., Darlington DL1 1SG. 7:30pm. £10.
Steve Bone - Al Forno, 81 Skinnergate, Darlington DL3 7LX. 7pm.
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To the best of our knowledge, details of the above events are correct but may be subject to alteration.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

CD Review: Gianni Bianchini - Type 1

Gianni Bianchini (piano/vocals); Jason Marsalis (perc.); Richard Mikel (bass); Brandon Guerra (drums) + Karen Tennison (vocals).
(Review by Lance).
Not, as I'd falsely assumed, recorded in the heart of Rome but in Austin, Texas, by Floridian pianist cum singer Bianchini. 
A fine debut album.
A choice selection of GASbook items that reveal Bianchini to be a pianist of some standing. Although there's some Bill Evans in there, the overall impression is of Peterson in full flight tempered with Bianchini's own input.
A good combination!

My Romance, Time AfterTime, The Way You Look Tonight - the opening three tracks - has Bianchini setting down his piano stall with each one a 'must have'!
Then there's a vocal - our man is no slouch in that department either. Jimmy Van Heusen's I Could Have Told You So combines superb interpretation of the lyric and sympathetic piano accompaniment.
A swinging My Heart Stood Still stopped my heart from being anything but still! Big fat chords and rippling runs didn't do any harm either!.
The big fat chords and the rippling runs also featured on the vocal, Oh Look at me Now. Nice bass solo and some drum/piano fours added to the ambiance.
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise: straight ahead swing with lots of drive from bass, drums, percussion and, natch, piano. More fours.
I Wish I Knew brings Karen Tennison to the vocal mic. Scatting the Mack Gordon/Harry Warren tune into the 21st century, the girl does good only to be matched by Bianchini's solo. Nevertheless, the lady comes back and takes it out on a high with honours even.
A Foggy Day has the pianist in a more reflective mood. A gentle groove that sees a little bit Garner in the mix and some punchy drumming.
I'm Old Fashioned: A Jerome Kern tune, a Johnny Mercer lyric, a fine vocal and some outstanding piano driven by a rhythm section to die for - what more can I say 'cept, Shangri-la!
Peri's Scope (Periscope on CD!) is different from Bill Evans' take yet loses nothing by comparision.
Two For the Road; A reflective piece by Henry Mancini.
A near-perfect CD. Near? Which artistic incompetent decided to display the text as gray on gray? Now, whilst there may be 40 shades of gray, there are only 2 here and so close as to be almost indistinguishable!
Still, the music speaks for itself.
Highly recommended.
Lance.
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About this blog - contact details.

Bebop Spoken Here -- Here, being the north-east of England -- centred in the blues heartland of Newcastle and reaching down to the Tees Delta and looking upwards to the Land of the Kilt.
Not a very original title, I know; not even an accurate one as my taste, whilst centred around the music of Bird and Diz, extends in many directions and I listen to everything from King Oliver to Chick Corea and beyond. Not forgetting the Great American Songbook the contents of which has provided the inspiration for much great jazz and quality popular singing for round about a century.
The idea of this blog is for you to share your thoughts and pass on your comments on discs, gigs, jazz - music in general. If you've been to a gig/concert or heard a CD that knocked you sideways please share your views with us. Tell us about your favourites, your memories, your dislikes.
Lance (Who wishes it to be known that he is not responsible for postings other than his own and that he's not always responsible for them.)
Contact: lanceliddle@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you.

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