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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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Monday, May 27, 2019

CD Review: Partisans - NIT DE NIT


Phil Robson (guitar), Julian Siegel (tenor and soprano saxophone, bass clarinet), Thaddeus Kelly (bass guitar), Gene Calderazzo (drums). 
(Review by Chris)  

My latest foray into the shadow world of reviewing for Bebop Spoken Here.... rendezvous with the boss at Sage before the big gig (Kamasi Washington, BSH passim). Lance rocks up dispensing CDs to his acolytes... what’s in his oh so stylish plastic carrier bag this time? Well, on the night of the current giant of the tenor (?), what else but three sax led albums  - The Three Tenors”? 


The first of these a live album by Partisans, led by Phil Robson on guitar plus Julian Siegel on saxes and bass clarinet.  I wasn’t familiar with this UK-based band, or the members, but they have serious pedigree, together and individually, stretching back 20 years and more. Their music is variously reported as jazz-rock, fusion, post-bop or even “post-jazz”, but as futile as these labels are, I’d say they are still in the “jazz” fold somewhere. 

They have their own distinctive voice and direction, but there are clear echoes of Soft Machine, electric Miles, Weather Report or even Mahavishnu. The lead alternates between reeds and guitar, over a powerful and sophisticated beat (yes, he is Joey’s brother) and grooving bass (from rock to wandering funk lines and back again).  

The album kicks off with a phrase from Bird’s 1947 Klact-Oveeseds-tene, which is then taken to the Max by all members of the band in homage to Mr. Roach, with the tune energetically worked over alternately by sax and guitar.   TheThat’s Not His Bag (from the airport carousel, apparently) features repeated guitar and bass riffs, Nucleus-style, with fluent, interlocking soloing from sax throughout.  

The title track is more urgent, cutting loose with angular lines and free sections driven by frantic (but precise) fireworks from the rhythm section.  Another change in direction for Bowie’s John I'm Only Dancing given a lengthy, luxurious blues treatment.  
Heavy rock riffs and withering overdriven guitar dominate The Overthink, over bubbling bass lines, punctuated by occasional quieter sections  - these guys aren’t short of confidence.  A languorous and thoughtful Latin-tinged number - EG (after Gismonti) - follows, with subtle, shuffling percussion and flying licks bounced between soprano and guitar.  

Pork Scratching hits a more jazz-rock note, with guitar effects to the fore, before the album closes with Last Chance. Starting with ruminant bass clarinet and pensive guitar, this gives way to another, more energetic Nucleus-style bass riff driving some sublime guitar pyrotechnics.  

Altogether, a very engaging, stimulating and varied work which has grown on me a lot through repeated listening.  I'd certainly like to catch them live on the basis of this recording, and I’ll be checking out their other albums and projects.  
Chris Kilsby 
Nearest gig on their 2019 tour:  September 22 at Scarborough Jazz Festival  
Release date: 17/05/2019 Whirlwind Recordings  

1 comment :

Hugh said...

Regarding the plastic bag of goodies...

...in the winter, the gaffer sports a stylish greatcoat with generous pockets in the lining, from which the CDs are dispensed.

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