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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 ...

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.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 13: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 13: Infusion Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 13: Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv.).

Sunday, March 24, 2013

CD Review: Soweto Kinch - The Legend of Mike Smith


Soweto Kinch (rap vocals, alto & tenor saxophones, Fender Rhodes, all beats & programming), Shabaka Hutchings (tenor saxophone & clarinet), Jay Phelps (trumpet), Karl Rasheed-Abel (all live double bass), Graham Godfrey (all live drums), Julian Joseph (piano), Cleveland Watkiss (vocals), Eska Mtungwazi (vocals), Rachel Maby (vocals, all interludes)
(Review by Russell).
Soweto Kinch - urban musician, Oxford graduate in Modern History - has produced an ambitious work with the release of The Legend of Mike Smith
A double CD featuring a core band of musicians and a cast of characters tells the story of an aspiring rap artist in a world of ‘corporate suits’ seeking to exploit the underground talent of the eponymous hero is one facet of a project developed over several years in conjunction with Jonzi D. The scale of the work is impressive incorporating dance, design, jazz, hip-hop and visual art. Kinch sees the work as being in development, evolving as it is seen and heard in performance and on CD over the coming weeks and months. 
The work is based around the Seven Deadly Sins with MC Smith portrayed by a double narrator (Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins incorporated the device); Kinch narrates Smith’s inner thoughts, brother Toyin Omari-Kinch is the voice of the protagonist. Kinch the rapper drives the narrative, programmed beats (drum ’n’ bass) and Bach chorales (!) infuse the entire work and the ‘live’ jazz element is of the highest order. 
MC Smith takes The Phone Call from the cynical industry professional offering him riches and the dye is cast. Our hero sets off in  search of a mic (The Golden Mic) and encounters numerous obstacles as he takes his first frustrating (and at times amusing) steps in the music business (Kinch has previously spoken of his War in a Rack - a struggle against the industry’s pigeon-holing of his music). Road Block showcases the band’s blistering jazz credentials, Shabaka Hutchings (a BBC Radio 3 New Generation artist) plays big tenor on Tube Delays and Traffic Lights scream blindingly as altoist Kinch picks up the tenor. Trumpeter Jay Phelps and Julian Joseph (piano) shine on the ballad Vacuum and Joseph contributes to the tumultuous Sweeping Changes (stellar drumming from Graham Godfrey, Kinch on alto). Austerity, pizza chains, fat cats, the voiceless Palestinians, finance agreements, peddled cheap credit and the wealth gap are just some of the subjects referenced in a brilliant exposition on Avaritia. Will our hero resist? No matter, the band tear it up on Slam (put it on the iPod). Better Off Alone features Kinch rapping and playing tenor as Eska Mtungwazi’s excellent vocals -I’ll go my own way - suggest Smith should do it his way. Then more wonderfully dark, inventive lyrics on Superbia and The Dark Warrior Lord. Highlights are many; the tight combo playing on D’Urge is simply sublime drawing on American free jazz, Braxton, Dolphy and so much more. MC Smith survives Man’s Darkest Hour, experiences an Epiphany resulting in the joyous The Healing and The Bounce.
 Russell.
The Cast: Mike Smith: Toyin Omari-Kinch, Mike’s inner thoughts: Soweto Kinch, The Sage: Jonathan Owen, Kate Advo (A+R): Tessa Walker, Muse 1: Yvette Harris, Muse 2: Jonzi D, The Choir: Rachel Maby, Buzzy Sparxx: Dominic ‘Silverchet’ Davids, Taxi Driver: Joel Cottrell, Police Man in ‘Pressure’: Tony Platt, Bajan Tube Announcer: Jonzi D, Concierge: David Timothy, Waitress: Iza Coesak, Jada: Terri Facey, Jenni: Mimi Fresh, Dark Angel: Tyrone Huggins, Amusement Arcade Worker: Jonzi D, Koos: Tony ‘Jamo’ Morrison, Cynthia: Janine Small, Razor Sharp: Daniel Anderson.
Photography: Ben Amure, Album Design: D237, Illustrations: Daniel Isles, Soapbox Design. Producer: Tony Platt.
Soweto Kinch The Legend of Mike Smith is available on Soweto Kinch Recordings SKP003CD
Soweto Kinch will tour the project in collaboration with choreographer Jonzi D with a full staging of the work at the re-opening of Birmingham Rep on 12 September 2013. Kinch’s new trio - Shaney Forbes (drums) and bassist Karl Rasheed-Abel - will perform the music at this year’s Gateshead International Jazz Festival on Friday 5 April. A major event, be there.                  
                            


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