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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.

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

CD Review : MYRIAD3 - TELL


(Review by Dave Brownlow)
Chris Donnelly (pno), Don Fortin (bass) and Ernesto Cervini (dms).
Donnelly is an acclaimed pianist/composer equally at home in jazz and classical music,
Fortin has a background of jazz and rock and Cervini, a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music plays in or leads several local ensembles. Fortin explains “with MYRIAD3, a lot of varied styles and approaches converge, and that makes for a very different music”. This is very true and the album by the recently formed Toronto based group is far from the usual piano/bass/drums trio in the jazz tradition It is more that bass and drums have equality with the piano and where each musician contributes as they “share ideas and craft each piece collectively”. There are frequent mood, tempo or style changes within each piece. Of the 11 tracks on the CD, the pianist contributes 4 originals, the bassist 3 the drummer 3 and there is 1 standard - Duke Ellington’s C Jam Blues.

Myriad has a jaunty almost “country” feel at the start and then goes through several mood changes which go in different directions. Fractured is an exploration of arpeggio figures which intertwine between bass and piano; slightly “Monkish” at times, it’s aptly named! For The Dreamers begins with a gentle “Satie”- like repeated phrase which develops in intensity with some clashing “Cecil Taylor”- like chords together with thrashing drums leading to a sudden conclusion.
C Jam Blues begins conventionally enough when suddenly after 45 seconds the tempo and chord sequence changes with the band speeding up and slowing down in a somewhat schizophrenic fashion. “Duke” would have been an interested listener to hear his song dissected like this…….Disturbing Inspiration is in two parts. In the first there are two contrasting themes – one peaceful, the other more aggressive- which the trio switch between several times. Part 2 begins with a bass vamp which quickly becomes more complex as drums and piano enter. The drummer shines on this one.
Tell uses a simple 12-bar blues chord structure but is unlike any blues I've ever heard. Drifters begins with an almost “Debussyian” repeated chordal motif with some lovely piano developments. Be Still And Yet opens with a bass/piano vamp which continues throughout with some tempo changes; meanwhile the drums scuttle and thrash around in the background in a frantic chase. Mr Awkward is a slightly more conventional blues which features a pleasant piano solo. The trio have fun at the end seemingly unable to finish the piece. An awkward chord won’t resolve……..
Donnelly introduces huge disturbing “Tyner”- like chords in his solo as it builds, fades and builds - again with thundering drums accompaniment.
Lament/PEX starts in a stately fashion using a repeating minor “ground bass” figure which builds in intensity concluding in a joyous “J.S.Bachian” – like cadenza with the band at full throttle.
Despite my early misgivings, I’ve grown to like many parts of this music through repeated listening. I suggest it may appeal to the jazz listener who also has some interest in various genres of classical music.
David Brownlow.
The CD MYRIAD3 – TELL was released in November 2012 on Alma Records LC 13990.

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