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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.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. 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.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

CD Review: Carsten Dahl - Bach Goldberg Variations

Carsten Dahl (prepared piano).
(Review by Lance).
"What?" I hear you ask, "Is a 'prepared piano'?). To quote from the blurb:“Bach Goldberg Variations“ was recorded on a prepared piano, giving it its unique sound. Carsten Dahl placed snare wires on the piano wires to create a distorted sound that’s like a cross between a harpsichord, a sitar, a classical piano, an upright piano, a guitar and a banjo.
Carsten also has this to say: “The reason I flung myself into Bach’s work is partly because it’s the ultimate test of “manhood” for a pianist and partly because I wanted to bring out a side of Bach that you don’t often hear. In my opinion, Bach isn’t music for the posh, it’s music for the masses. So my interpretation grates on the ear and stinks of smelly feet when you hear it. I pull Bach down to the people, rather than letting him waft about on some highbrow cloud."
The album, which was Denmark's top selling classical album of 2014 also charted in the top 30 pop albums.
What do I think? An interesting experiment, although personally I'd sooner hear it played on a piano that didn't have snare wires across the strings!
Dahl is a fine pianist both classical and jazz although there's none of the latter genre here unless you class the snare wires as a form of improvisation.
The album is available on vinyl for a fiver or on CD for 3GBP from your nearest Tiger store which where I live is probably Edinburgh or the Faroe Islands it can also be downloaded from www.tiger-music.com/carstendahl.com.
Lance.

4 comments :

Patti D. said...

Hmmm - as you say Lance, an interesting experiment ..... Bach's music is so often interpreted in different styles. I can remember liking the Jacques Loussier Play Bach albums when I was an impressionable 15 year old .....

Lance said...

Yes Patti, I almost started smoking cigars after Loussier's version of Air on a G String was used in the Hamlet advert!

Anonymous said...

Well, Carsten Dahls version of Goldberg is a fake! He simply picked up the midi files from Open Goldberg - and he never would be able to survive playing even one of the variations...check the michinegun thrills...actually one of the biggest not yet discovered classical music recording scandals i modern time!

Lance said...

I wish you'd been more open rather than using the anonymous button. More credibility with a name. If you care to email me privately, and confidentially, I'd be interested to hear from you.

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