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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.

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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