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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
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

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.

Friday, August 02, 2019

CD Review: Luke Gillespie - Moving Mists

(Review by Dave Brownlow)

Luke Gillespie, a master pianist in both jazz and classical music, a Professor of Jazz Piano at Indiana University (Jacob School of Music), an international performer and an inspiring teacher in situ and on YouTube, very cleverly applies classical textures to jazz pieces - in other words he re-harmonises and re-constructs or re-invents jazz standards in a most inventive and thrilling way.

Among others, Gillespie’s voicings have echoes of Frederic Chopin, McCoy Tyner, Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor, whilst his harmonic choices are unusual and yet sound so ‘right’ in a jazz context.

The group comprises colleagues (past or present) who’re all thoroughly “at home” with his musical philosophy and provide great support in different combinations throughout the album. There are also two solo piano tracks.   Some of his work is a little reminiscent of a legendary figure from the past - Dick Twardzik - whose flame flickered briefly in the early ‘50s and who also chose a different musical path. (His muse was Bartok).  He caught the ear of Bird when he visited Boston who chose him for the piano chair in his quintet for some gigs.

 I Hear a Rhapsody: an ‘abrasive’ trio opener with a challenging ostinato bass line and compelling chordal choices together with unusual playing from the leader.

Blues For All: a lively play on Miles’ All Blues where an angular theme leads to charismatic solos from Raymond, Smith and Gillespie himself. Stalwart work from bassist Allen and drummer Houghton keeps us on track in the chord sequence while the soloists are up, out and away!

In the trio version of My Funny Valentine, Luke utilises the Brazilian ‘choro’ rhythmic style in a highly different arrangement utilising pedal points in the bass to create simply gorgeous harmonies and where the popular melody is treated with the greatest respect.

Coltrane’s Giant Steps has been a ‘test-piece’ for many aspiring would-be jazzers since it was written. Smith, Raymond and the leader are again featured in this no-holds-barred examination of the famous song. I would say all involved “pass with credit”!

Monk’s classic ‘Round Midnight sounds like a previously unknown Chopin Nocturne with the haunting melody re-harmonized in an out-of-this-world, ethereal version. Dizzy Gillespie’s often-used intro is cleverly interpolated into the solo. Simply wonderful….

The leader’s original piece Moving Mists uses the quartet set-up featuring Raymond on flugel, suggesting a Japanese influence - Luke grew up in Osaka - and has a thoughtful reflective ambience all through. 

Beautiful Love, sung by Tierney Sutton (a colleague at I.U.at the time), shows off another of Luke’s talents - that of accompanist. The haunting beauty of this track is spell-binding with the stark delivery of the song’s words enhanced by the pianist’s masterful keyboard support. Again, re-harmonization is at the core of the performance - different but so ‘right’….!

This I Dig of Grew is a Gillespie original for the septet, dedicated to pianist Mulgrew Miller, arranged by Brent Wallarab with a nod towards Hank Mobley’s This I Dig Of You. A  distinct “Blue Note” sound, more conventional in approach with fine, swinging solos from Stryker, Walsh, Harbison, Wallace and Coolman.

A second Wallarab arrangement is another Gillespie original DaNaBar which was written in 1984 for jazz educator David Baker’s composition class. Lovely solos from Walsh, Raymond, Smith and Gillespie show the respect Baker is held in by the group.
Finally, All the Things You Are beautifully, strangely re-harmonized and played solo by Gillespie, leaves the listener hanging in mid-air, wanting more …

This is such an interesting CD which is well-programmed with good contrasts from track-to-track. It has challenging, imaginative music brilliantly played by a first-class ensemble and is full of surprises.
This is my album of the month (July)
– a 5-star rating from me
Available now on PATOIS RECORDS - Patois PRCD025
Dave B.

Luke Gillespie (piano) + (Collective personnel): Jeremy Allen, Todd Coolman (bass); Steve Houghton (drums); John Raymond (trumpet/flugel); Walter Smith III (tenor sax); Tierney Sutton (vocal track 7); Tom Walsh (alto/sop saxes); Pat Harbison (trumpet), Wayne Wallace, Brennan Johns (trombone); Brent Wallarab (arr tracks 8 & 9).

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