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.
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.

Monday, February 13, 2012

CD Review: Seamus Blake Quintet Live at Smalls

Seamus Blake’s most recent appearance in the north east was with guitarist Mark McKnight. The tenor saxophonist made a considerable impression with his solos dovetailing to great effect with McKnight’s wonderfully fluent fretwork. Live at Smalls recorded at Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village NYC reaffirms Blake as one of the foremost tenor players on the scene. 
On this recording the excellent Lage Lund is the six-string foil to Blake’s distinctive tenor sound. Five numbers - all but one Blake originals – encourage the quintet to stretch-out in the intimate environs of Smalls. Subterfuge opens the set with Blake and Lage featured. Solo opportunities are many, yet this is a stellar line-up assembled by the bandleader - drummer Bill Stewart (heard in Newcastle some years ago) is superb throughout, so too pianist Dave Kikoski and bassist Matt Clohesy - making it a genuine five piece improvising ensemble. The opening bars of Amuse Bouche are deceptively playful prior to Blake unleashing some devastating tenor with Kikoski supplying Tyner-esque chords as Stewart urges further upper-register adventures. Lage gets in on the act before Blake comes back for more. Consequence takes it down for a while until taut tenor lines rachet-up the tension once more. The ballad selection - Stranger in Paradise – is as good as you will hear with the rhythm section in its element (hear the cheers following Kikoski’s solo). The set concludes with Fear of Rooming. Blake states the theme, Kikoski solos (cue applause!), Stewart swings it (rim-shots, crashing cymbals, the lot), tenor goes into orbit (hear the applause!), Lage wants a piece of it. This is great stuff if you like contemporary small group jazz. 
Seamus Blake Quintet Live at Smalls is on the house label smalls LIVE (SL – 0008).
Russell    

1 comment :

dan blake said...

Great review, Russell. Wonderful insights. I was fortunate to catch the band live for two consecutive nights (Feb 26/27) while visiting NY a short while ago.
Dan Blake

Blog Archive