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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Sirkis-Bialas IQ @ King's Hall, Newcastle University - Nov 14

Asaf Sirkis (drums, percussion, konnakol); Sylwia Bialas (vocals, waterphone); Frank Harrison (piano, keyboards); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar). 
(Review by Russell).

The IQ's second album featured during this afternoon's King's Hall concert. Our New Earth serves to showcase the compositions of the two principals - Asaf Sirkis and Sylwia Bialas - with committed contributions from pianist Frank Harrison and bassist Kevin Glasgow. Drummer Sirkis did the talking, Bialas did the singing, all four did the playing to an attentive audience.

Sirkis' fizzing sticks, Bialas' soaring, at times near-operatic vocals, Harrison's mature piano playing, Glasgow's precise six-string bass playing, IQ (that's the International Quartet) is a working unit of five years or so and it shows - a glance, a nod, a smile, they knew where they were going. 

Bialas' Nocturnity pressed the Polish vocalist's waterphone into action. Consisting of a resonator bowl, cyclindrical neck and brass rods, the waterphone or 'ocean harp' emitted a range of resonant sounds as Bialas first scraped across the rods with a bow then struck with a rubberised hammer. As Sirkis, Harrison and Glasgow picked up on the sounds echoing around the room Bialas' vocal explorations encompassed lyrical expression in the form of scat and vocalese. 

For those unfamiliar with the work of Asaf Sirkis, the Israeli born, London resident musician is a fine drummer. A treat on some of his gigs, as was the case here in Newcastle, is to hear him launch into konnakol Carnatic (south Indian) singing. Applause should have reverberated around King's Hall but, somehow, Sirkis' vocal dexterity met with silence - perhaps, on this occasion, it wasn't the done thing to show appreciation.

A two-part suite - Rooting and the new CD's eponymous Our New Earth - concluded the performance which went down well with the public and student audience alike.
Russell.

3 comments :

Patrick said...

If there is no applause - the audience didn’t like it

Russell said...

Patrick, the absence of applause during a performance doesn't necessarily indicate audience dissatisfaction. On this occasion Asaf Sirkis' brilliant vocal feature didn't prompt applause, principally because everyone present was transfixed, listening intently to the group performance.

Chris K said...

Russell, I think you're spot on. Furthermore, the audience didn't seem to be familiar with a jazz format ...there was no applause for any individual solo effort, even the more conventional keyboard and bass. There was, however, sustained applause at the end of each song!

This was justified as this was a remarkably gifted outfit playing some remarkable music!

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