Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 2026)

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

From This Moment On

September.

Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Sun 27: Salty Dog @ The Cluny. 12:30pm (doors). Free (donations).
Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Zach Sewell-Lara Hopper Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. Ruth Lambert (vocals); Giles Strong (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Sun 27: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Alex Hitchcock Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Saturday, July 18, 2026

Album review: Lisa Rich - I Sill Rise (Tritone Records)

Lisa Rich (vocals); Marc Copland (piano); Drew Gress (bass) + Dave Ballou (trumpet tks 7-10)

I reviewed Lisa Rich's 1983 album, Listen Here, last year and I was impressed. I'm impressed with this, her latest, too.

No Moon at All opens up this delightful album. Just voice and bass, not an easy combination but when it works, and it works here, the end product is worth it for both performers and listeners alike. 

Bill Evans' Two Lonely People brings a similar empathy between voice and piano with the bass gently adding a third line - or it may be Copland's left hand. It's a sad song but a beautiful one with Rich capturing the sad sentiments.

There's a lot of background to Beginner/How Can we Sing About Freedom?. Beginner was composed by Rich's late friend and mentor Jay Clayton who, sadly, passed away in December 2023. Clayton, Rich admits, was the one who got her back into singing. Health issues, had made her unable to perform. However, it was during a time of national protest that brought about How Can we Sing About Freedom?. Unable to march with the crowds, she wrote a poem and put it to a minor blues - her way of speaking through music to a troubled world. Solos from piano and bass as well as some vocal scatting..

Estate is sung entirely in Italian. As I belong to the non parlo Italiano brand of tourist I don't know what it's about although the plaintive melody suggests it isn't a party song. 

Take Five is tricky enough to begin with, having to sing it in 5/4 time demands vocal dexterity of the first order - that demand is met.

Quiet Nights drew this comment from composer Denny Zeitlin: "Wow, you are a helluva singer." 

Kitty Margalis added lyrics to Wayne Shorter's Footprints, renaming it Ancient Footprints. Ballou added some trumpet lines. Being long familiar with Shorter's original, adding words didn't do it for me. 

Ballou stays on board for Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke's classic Like Someone in Love. Rich interprets the lyrics just like someone in love, Ballou is more at home here and Gress shines with a meaningful bass solo - an accolade rarely applied to our bull-fiddlers! 

Muted trumpet slots in nicely with Rich's vocal on Never Let me go. 

More muted trumpet on Monk's Well You Needn't retitled It's Over Now.  Rich indulges in some quirky scatting. 

It's good to have her recording again and may her voice be heard in all the right places by all the right people. Lance

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive