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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 2023).

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!"

Postage

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

June

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Chucho Valdes & The Afro-Cuban Messengers + Ibrahim Maalouf @ The Barbican.

Chucho Valdés (pno), Mayra Valdés (vcl), Lazaro Alarcon (bs), Juan Castro (dms), Yaroldy Robles (perc), Dreiser Bambolé (bata drum/vcl), Carlos Hernandez (ten), Reinaldo Alvarez (tpt/flg).
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Ibrahim Maalouf (tpt), Nenad Gajin (gtr), Frank Woeste (Rhodes), Xavier Roger (dms), Benjamin Molinaro (bs).
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They stood up and applauded wildly and justifiably so. If one man and one band deserved a standing ovation it was Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers.
This was Harlem meets Havana - a Cuban Jazz Carnival.
The two horns provided the Messenger content and both would have been at home in any of Art Blakey's ensembles. They dug in and blew hard bop over the most pulsating rhythm section I'm ever likely to hear. In Hernandez you have tenor player who can hold his head high with the best of them - eat your heart out Mr Lloyd!
Alvarez too could swing as well as being beautifully lyrical on flugel.
The various percussionists gave the beat and a lot more conjuring up a variety of sounds from their armoury.
As for the leader well, he simply held it all together as well as chipping in with some wildly extravagent and exciting solos. Mayra Valdés was used sparingly revealing a powerful and emotive voice but it was Bambolé who took most of the vocals in-between Bata drumming.
It was great night as I knew it would be from the moment Alarcon kicked things off with a pizzicato bowed bass solo. Earlier on the French Arabian trumpet player's quintet got the ball rolling with a set that was, by his own admission more rock than jazz. Strangely, a section of the audience applauded that announcement!
Ibrahim Maalouf is a good trumpet player with a big fat sound and a band that at times really did rock the rafters - if they have rafters at the Barbican. However, there were too many deep reflective moments for my personal taste. Nevertheless the crowd liked it so who am I to complain?
A fitting and satisfactory end to my mini London Jazz Festival
On the free stage the Younger Zen (pictured right) had set the ball rolling with a brilliant set. Wade Austin (steel pan), Konrad Foster (bs. gtr), Siemy Diengue (dms). Playing sax in the Chilli Road Band, as I do, I thought I knew a bit about steel pans but never had I heard them played like this! Wade Austin plays runs that any sax, trumpet, guitar player would be proud of - if they could manage them! Add chords and contrapuntal lines and he becomes a keyboard/vibes player - amazing! I just wished the steel panners of my acquaintance could have been here!
Lance.

2 comments :

Ron A said...

I agree 100% with you Lance, as you know I'm a great Chucho fan and attended the very same concert at the Barbican on Thursday gone.Having visited Cuba earlier this year (including a couple of nights in a Havana Jazz Club) we could not wait to hear those fantastic cuban sounds again, being played live that is!
The solo piano he played was absolutely astounding,the band was exceptional and it was one of the best concerts I am are likely to experiance. I never understood why Chucho avoided my jazz listening radar until about 4 years ago!Such a talent!!!!!!!

Ron Ainsborough

Lance said...

Hey Ron wish I'd known you were there - it was quite amazing.

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