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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.

Sunday, July 26, 2020

Album review: Madre Vaca - Winterreise

Juan Rollan (sax); Steve Strawley (trumpet); Lance Reed (trombone); Jonah Pierre (piano); Jarrett Carter (guitar); Mike Perez (bass); Benjamin Shorstein (drums); Milan Algood (perc.) + Rebecca Shorstein (vocal on 1 tk.)

A lot of jazz musicians have, over the years, had a crack at the works of the great classical composers. From Bach to Bartok, few have escaped being "jazzed". The Schubert folio may have been less plundered than some of the others although he was far from immune.

This isn't surprising as, of all the great classical composers, Franz Schubert was perhaps the most melodic and one whose lyricism so easily lends itself to improvisation.

Winterreise (Winter Journey) was written near the end of the composer's short life (he died aged 31) and was conceived as a song cycle based on the poems of one Wilhelm Muller that dealt with the story of a dejected man who left his home and his beloved in the middle of the night. Did Schubert, who also had a troubled life despite the joyfulness of much of his work relate to this saga? Almost 200 years on we will probably never know...

What we do know is that drummer Shorstein took 10 of the 24 pieces that comprise the suite and arranged them for the Florida based Madre Vaca jazz collective. The result is impressive, crossing and merging several jazz idioms. This is particularly noticeable in the opening Goodnight set over a marching beat that could have been played by a New Orleans street band although Rollan's alto solo owes much to Johnny Hodges and Reed's trombone is nearer to JJ than Kid Ory.

At other times, on such as The Weathervane, Mingus springs to mind. Frozen is anything but - there's enough fire in the solos to melt a glacier. Loneliness features Carter as well as more trombone from Reed. The Crow has Rollan flying in a more angular fashion than the title would suggest. The blurb says he's on tenor but he has an alto sound which is fine by me.

Last Hope begins quite innocuously, getting Schubert's melody out of the way before moving up the centuries ("Franz will you please stop turning in your grave you're keeping me adead".)  The Stormy Morning is just that with Reed once again giving the slide a workout and Strawley riding high above the storm with some tricky triple tonguing.

The Sun Dogs reverts to Schubert's original lieder format of voice and piano yet nowhere on sleeve or blurb is there any reference to a singer. I'm guessing that it is Rebecca Shorstein who has recorded previously with (husband?) Benjamin Shorstein (on piano) but I could be wrong as the voice has a bisexual timbre to it.

The Hurdy-Gurdy Man brings us to journey's end and it has been a journey of love, mystery and adventure albeit with an over-riding melancholic feel.

I think I'm being fair in saying that it will appeal to fans of both Schubert and jazz providing that they have a bit of each other in their respective souls.
Lance.

Available via the usual suspects.

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