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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 2024.

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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Sunday, September 02, 2018

CD Review: Peter Nelson - Ash, Dust and the Chalkboard Cinema:

Peter Nelson (trombone); Alexa Barchini (voice); Nikara Warren (vibes); Josh Lawrence (trumpet); Hailey Niswanger (alto); Yuma Uesaka (bass clarinet); Willerm Delisfort (piano); Raviv Markovitz (bass); Itay Morchi (drums).
(Review by Dave Brownlow).
This intriguingly entitled album by trombonist Peter Nelson features him in three different settings – a delicate trio of vibes, wordless female vocal and trombone, a quartet of trombone, piano, bass and drums and a septet of trumpet, trombone, alto sax, bass clarinet and three rhythm.

Peter has emerged from a debilitating five-year health condition (Dystonia) which made it extremely painful and impossible to play his instrument caused by poor teaching as he learned music. He has since recovered and forged a career composing in a variety of genres and playing trombone with some of the top names in the US jazz scene. The ten unusually titled tracks on the album refer to some of the stages of Peter’s recovery and form a kind of musical suite brought to life by his collaborators each of whom has played a part in his life.

It Starts Slowly(first in your heart) is the first offering from the trio – an ethereal, out-of-this-world piece with wordless vocals and shimmering chords from the vibes contrasting sharply with the full sound of the trombone.

State of Fear (that lonely nightmare) is by the quartet – a hard-swinging performance reminiscent of a Coltrane tour-de-force with ambiguous Tyner-esque chords and some fearsome ‘machine-gun’ trombone and an unsettling drum-led coda.

As We Grow Unfamiliar (In the Void) also by the quartet is based on a repeated two-chord vamp where the rhythm team work hard to provide momentum. Agile solos from trombone and piano in ‘contemporary’ style squeeze all the possibilities from a limited chord sequence.

Cyclical Maze (Round and Round We Go) is by the septet and begins with a chorale-style intro from brass and reeds, leading to a pleasingly arranged melodic theme statement. The solos are unusual in that each player has just 8 bars, then 4, then 2 leading to a successful mass ‘free-for-all’  which completes the track.

Ghost of Sand (Slipping Through Your Fingers) is from the trio – a short out-of-tempo exploration of some imponderable idea where the brusque trombone contrasts nicely with ‘other-worldly’ floating backing.

Back to the septet for Do Nothing (If Less is More) which is a tribute to physiologist/trombonist Jan Kagarice who diagnosed and treated Nelson’s condition.

To The Water, my Eyes (To The Wave, my Heart) is a churning quartet performance with a confident theme statement with solos from bass, trombone and piano on a simple chord structure in “contemporary style.”

Peace, A Moment (you’re enough) is just trombone and bass and finds the leader in reflective mood over the bassist’s repeated motif using the instrument’s harmonics.

Behind Kind Eyes (thank you) is from the septet and sounds like something George Russell might have written. It features the alto of Niswanger, a more conventional trombone solo and a sudden and unexpected ending (i.e. no final theme statement).

Closure is a Wasted Prayer (release, relax) from the trio – is a brief, surreal, impressionist statement which concludes this CD in gentle style.

Overall, a thoughtful album in several respects – a somewhat audacious use of resources, far-reaching, imaginative compositions, and the heart-warming story of a musician, restored to health, realising his talents and abilities to the full.  

Available now on OiM 1813 from Outside In Music or peternelsonmusic.com
Dave B.

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