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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

June

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

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.

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

CD Review: Don Byron & Aruan Ortiz - Random Dances And (A)Tonalities

Don Byron (clarinet & tenor sax); Aruan Ortiz (piano)
(Review by Dave Brownlow)

This is a most intriguing and unusual album – the intellectual meeting of minds of the two ‘protagonists’ who are highly skilled musicians in both jazz and classical genres and whose music ranges from the blues to Ellington to free and J.S Bach to Schoenberg with everything in between. Don Byron has an ice-cold tone on clarinet reminiscent of that of John La Porta, whereas on tenor, his sound is warm and utterly his own. Aruan Ortiz on piano has the technique of a Conservatory-trained musician who has moved seamlessly within the worlds of chamber music, Jewish, soul, rock and jazz and through studies with George Russell and the influence of Tete Montoliu.

Tete’s Blues - honouring the Catalan pianist - is an atonal exploration of the time-honoured format with a completely unconventional but logical, note and chord selection aurally to challenge the listener. The ice-cool clarinet searchings are well supported by Cecil Taylor-like piano promptings.

 Black and Tan Fantasy lopes along with Byron on tenor and both Duke and Monk firmly in the minds of the duo. The two giants would have chuckled at this version and appreciated it!

 Musica Callada: Book 1, V([MM ] crochet=54) introduces us to little-known Spanish composer Federico Mompou. A thoroughly engrossing, limpid, haunting, clarinet/piano performance incorporates a beautiful melody and compelling improvisations. Is it jazz? Who knows…?

Byron’s composition Joe Btfsplk has a passing trace of Parker’s Donna Lee here and there. It’s an avant-garde musical conversation between tenor and piano throughout, swinging along in its own inimitable way. (Bird would have listened to this with interest because he loved ‘modern music’ i.e. Bartok, Hindemith etc)

Ortiz’s Numbers is more ‘Impressionist’ in conception flowing along with many ‘Debussian’ flourishes in a graceful style especially within the pianist’s playing

A piece from the late Geri Allen Dolphy’s Dance has no boundaries but bounces along challenging the players and listeners in every way.

Byron plays J.S.Bach’s Violin Partita No 1 in B minor as a captivating unaccompanied clarinet solo in a liquid manner showing he’s equally at home in this genre. No jazz here of course even though Johann Sebastian himself was a great improviser…..!

Byron’s Delphian Nuptials moves as gracefully as a stately dance with a lovely five-note figure played throughout on the clarinet as the basic structure. Tender variations and commentary figures from the piano makes this a duo delight.

Ortiz’s next original piece Arabesques of a Geometrical Rose (Spring) begins with doomy ‘Oliver Messiaen-like’ piano chords. Another atonal outing full of unusual voicings and melodic intervals where constant counter-melodies overlap and interweave makes for a thought-provoking listen.

The final track Impressions on a Golden Theme is loosely based on Benny Golson’s Along Came Betty. Discordant from the start, the duo continues its unconventional rapport together and apart, soloing and accompanying themselves sometimes simultaneously where stark musical figures and ideas emerge and subside with first Ortiz then Byron taking the lead.

This music is as far from ‘Smooth Jazz’ or ‘Easy Listening’ as you can get, not for the faint-hearted, but well worth the time, effort and patience required over many listenings to begin to get into the musical world of this extraordinary duo.
Dave B. 
Available now on Intakt CD 309/2018 from Aruan-ortiz.com



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