Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Sat 05: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: Musical Boxing Training @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 2:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. ‘A workshop for musical improvisers’. An event in a boxing ring!
Sat 05: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Wylam Village Institute, Church Road, Wylam NE41 8AP. Doors 7:00pm. Tickets £15.00. + £1.50. bf, available from: www.gigantic.com.
Sat 05: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. From 7:00pm. £12.00. Bright Street Big Band on stage at 7:30pm, preceded at 7:00pm by a swing dance taster session.
Sat 05: J.A.M. String Collective + Tara Cunningham + The Flame @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & Lit & Phil.
Sat 05: Heavy Drunk @ Anarchy Brewery, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00. + £1.50. bf. ‘Mississippi Delta Blues Experience’ feat. Heavy Drunk, Watermelon Slim & Leonardo Giuliani.
Sat 05: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: Musical Boxing Night @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 7:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. Nicols, Dalling ao. An event in a boxing ring!
Sat 05: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 05: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Swarland Village Hall NE65 9JG. 8:00pm. £12.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm (12:30pm doors). £7.50.
Sun 06: Luis Verde Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Catriona Bourne Quartet + Heather Ferrier + Emma Johson’s Gravy Boat @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & The Globe.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock).
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Randy Brecker w. SNJO and Edinburgh Schools Jazz Orchestra, Queen's Hall, Edinburgh May 25.


Randy Brecker (tpt) w. SNJO - Ryan Quigley, Tom MacNiven, Cameron Jay, Lorne Cowieson (tpts); Chris Greive, Phil O'Malley, Kevin Garrity, Michael Owers (tmbs); Martin Kershaw, Paul Towndrow (alt); Tommy Smith (MD), Konrad Wiszniewski (ten); Bill Fleming (bar); Steve Hamilton (pno/keys); Kevin Glasgow (bs); Kevin Mackenzie (gtr); Alyn Cosker (dms).
This was an incredible evening - a living legend in the form of Randy Brecker, arguably the world's best big band and a youthful ensemble that may one day be playing with them.
The big picture was a tribute to the late Michael Brecker, younger brother of tonight's headliner. All compositions were by Michael Brecker and the variety and the authoritativeness of his writing showed just why he'd won so many Grammys. Big brother Randy displayed an awesome technique both open horned and muted as well as by occasionally incorporating various effects units. Not that this was a case of USA 5 Scotland 1.
Far from it.

In Ryan Quigley Scotland have a trumpet player who can hold his own with anyone - even Randy Brecker. Tom MacNiven also impressed on flugel whilst among the reeds MD Tommy Smith's tenor fitted well into the role of Brecker jr. as did Konrad W. with altoists Towndrow and Kershaw too having their chance to put the boot in. Kevin Mackenzie had some tasty moments on guitar but, great as the soloists are with SNJO, it is the power and the depth, the light and the shade of the band that is their strength. If this band were allowed to go under because of funding problems it would be the biggest Scottish disaster since Culloden.
Earlier, Brecker had made an appearance with the Edinburgh Schools Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Dan Hallam.
With a three girl vocal group (The St. Andrew's Sisters?) they gave a spirited work out to The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B. America's own bugle boy blew on the next number giving the young players something to add to their CV.
A pre-show talk between Brecker and Tommy Smith revealed much about the brothers early musical lives and, in answer to my question, Randy said he had a couple of projects in the offing one of which was a Brecker Brothers alumni reunion with such as David Sanborn and Mike Stern. Another mouthwatering prospect but, for the moment, I'll savour for eternity tonight's gig.
Incidentally, should you visit the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh (Carol Kidd's on next week with Brian Kellock) then go early. There's a host of book shops, record shops, charity shops, pubs nearby - Princes Street? Forget it - this is the real Edinburgh.
Lance.
Edinburgh Schools Jazz Orchestra: Dan Hallam (MD); Florence Clark, Manon Davis,  Cameron Sanderson, Fergus Kelly (alt); Michael Tai, Max Clee (ten); Jarvan Herman (bar). Aaron Akugbo, Magnus Westwell, Michael Watson, David Watson, Michaila Mark (tpts); Rory Hand, Euan Fraser, Conor Joss, Leon Ballin, Adam Crighton (tmbs); Ali Gray, Stephen Jack, Gus Cassie, Jack Westwell, James Paul (rhythm); Anna Kaye, Rushee Morton, Anna McLuckie (vcl group).

No comments :

Blog Archive