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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.

Monday, October 03, 2016

CD Review: Andrew Cyrille Quartet - The Declaration of Musical Independence

Bill Frisell – Guitar; Richard Teitelbaum  - synthesiser, piano; Ben Street – double bass; Andrew Cyrille – drums.
(Review by Hugh C)
In a previous blog post, Lance has alluded to fact that I am his preferred recipient of the slightly more outré offerings that drop through his letterbox.  I was not surprised therefore, bumping into Lance at the Sirkis/Bialis gig at the Globe, when I was greeted with “I've got something for you – Bill Frisell?”.  As my answer was in the affirmative, I was handed a smart red CD still in its polythene wrap, placed it in my coat pocket and thought nothing more of it – the International Quartet were starting up.

Lance knows I like the ECM product.  Many, but by no means all, of the CDs I am offered for review are on the ECM label – this appeared to be an exception, no moody black and white photograph on the front, just a smart red cover with white lettering.  The packaging, in the cold light of Sunday morning, however, felt familiar – an outer cardboard sleeve concealing the CD jewel case.  Yes, this was ECM.
I was surprised to read that this CD was by the Andrew Cyrille Quartet, Bill Frisell being second in the listing.  This is, apparently, avant-garde drummer, Andrew Cyrille's ECM leader debut. Unusually, no promotional material (other than the CD itself) was sent to BSH for review.  When reviewing a CD I tend to read through the promotional literature before listening to the CD, this often provides me with a hook on which to hang my additional verbiage.  The CD booklet has the usual moody photographs of the band and the individual members during the recording session.  Uncharacteristically for an ECM recording, there are also four pages of commentary on the CD.  Unfortunately (for me, as reviewer) I can barely understand a word of it!  Apparently in the musical world of the 20th century we had “become enmeshed completely and needlessly in steady, even time signatures deriving from military applications, to the exclusion of any other understanding of musical flow” - and so it goes on.

To the music then – this CD comes in at 45 minutes or thereabouts.  There are 9 tracks, the first being composed by John Coltrane and the remainder by individual, or a combination of the band members.  Some are previous compositions and three are new improvisational pieces involving all four musicians.  The languorous guitar style of Frisell is dominant throughout. 

As the title of the CD and the sleeve notes suggest, the music is largely devoid of the metrical contstraint of a time signature, one does get the impression from time to time (no pun intended!) that the output is a series of interesting, but unconnected noises rather than a continuous whole.  This is not to detract from the beauty of some of the more lyrical passages.

As I have commented before in respect of some of the CDs I have been offered for review, this is likely to appeal to the enthusiast, but perhaps not to the more general audience.  Would I buy this CD - no.  Would I recommend it to others – possibly, with the enthusiast proviso above.  Will I use this review copy to scare the birds in my allotment – no, I don't have an allotment

All in all then, an interesting (to coin a phrase) adventure – but not over-inspiring.  As Jazzwise Magazine's regular correspondent, The Colonel, might say:  “Could do with some military discipline!”
Hugh C.
Track Listing:
Coltrane Time  [Coltrane]
Kaddish [Frisell]
Sanctuary [The Quartet]
Say [Street]
Dazzling (Perchordially Yours) [The Quartet]
Herky Jerky [Teitelbaum]
Begin [Frisell]
Manfred [The Quartet]
Song for Andrew No. 1 [Frisell]


The Declaration of Musical Independence is released on ECM, Cat No.  ECM2430 and is available now.

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