Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

David Murray, Terri Lyne Carrington, Geri Allen @ Cadogan Hall, EFG London Jazz Festival - November 19 - 19th Nov.

David Murray (tenor, bass clarinet), Geri Allen (piano), Terri Lyne Carrington (drums).
(Review by Steve T)
This was the big Jazz night. Kandace was as much soul, Blood was as much funk and Billy Bell was all about the soul. The second Saturday promised two premier league female Jazz artists and a pair of tenor titans.
The last time I saw these two ladies they were with a third; one Esperanza Spalding who caused a veritable tsunami with a vocal performance fifty minutes in and turned up at Sage Gateshead with Jack Dejohnette and Joe Lovano a few months later.
This time out they were joined by saxophone colossus (is this title transferable?) David Murray.
The absence of bass is a central premise of the group, but a recent interview with Murray didn't really illuminate whether the three would fulfil the function on their respective instruments or whether the absence itself becomes a stylistic feature.
Most of the set was pulled from their recent album Perfectionand while it's a perfectly good album, the absence of bass, at best makes no difference and at worst, doesn't work. Indeed, the strongest track is Ornette’s Perfection where they're joined by other musicians, including Charnett Moffett on bass.
Murray was dominant from the off, encompassing the entire history of his instrument but remaining distinctly now: powerful, inventive, sensitive and soulful with flawless technique.
Terri Lyne Carrington didn't initially spread much TLC around her kit, proving herself a powerhouse player across her expansive setup, making her the heir to Billy Cobham, though she hasn't earned her second bass drum yet. However, as it went on, she revealed a lighter touch and a varied palette of percussion instruments during quieter moments.  
The bass was mostly missed when the piano was out, though Geri is a pianist who can and does play everything, and the rapport between the two ladies was evident. It may be contentious (moi?) to suggest the piano doesn't do it like a Hammond does.
Amongst the finer moments were the exchanges between sax and drums - Murray signalling Gerri when to drop out - but were enhanced exponentially by the jouissance accompanying the return of the piano.
Overall it was very free with abrupt endings, motifs unresolved and a general un-fulfilment of themes, accompanied by the inevitable early departures from the audience, though the majority seemed appreciative to be part of it.
Murray switched to bass clarinet, popping notes out on Father Peter O’brienthe most structured and traditional  of the set which Gerri Allen hoped would capture the joyfulness of the man she wrote it for. 
As great as Carrington is, we didn't need two drum solos but I'm knit-picking. A great performance from three premier practitioners of their generation on the cusp of becoming elder statespersons. It didn't particularly miss the bass but didn't benefit from its absence either.
Geri did most of the announcements with the others chipping in, the set featuring originals from each of them. It was recorded and will be on BBC radio on 28th.

Support came from Nerija, a seven piece, all-female band featuring guitar,bass, drums, bone, alto, tenor and trumpet. Jazz, hi-life and Afro-beat - add funk, reggae and soca/ calypso with some Spanish sounds. One to watch.
Steve T.

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

OMG!! The guitarist in Nérija is Shirley Tetteh. Nothing male about her! Despite the short hair and lack of make up. They are a seven piece female collective out of the well known educational set up of Tomorrows Warriors. Please amend pronto!

Lance said...

Amended pronto and with apologies. Our reviewer is on his way to Specsavers as we speak.

Anonymous said...

Great! Apology accepted.

Steve T said...

Specsavers don't do it for me anymore. I've been advised to go to proper opticians from now on and was there on Friday morning though the glasses haven't arrived yet.
I thought she was a bit good.
Apologies.

Blog Archive