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Bebop Spoken There

Delfeayo Marsalis: "Slide Hampton once told me that it's not always the person that is playing the highest or playing the fastest that's making the greatest impact." - (DownBeat March 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

Tue 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 21: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass guitar); Bailey Rudd (drums).

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - this week only.
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

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.

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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