Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Monday, April 08, 2013

GIJF Day 3: Ruby Turner; The Brand New Heavies. April 7.

(Review by Lance).
(Dawn Joseph: Photo credit, Mark Savage.)
Tonight posed the question what is and what isn't jazz? Both sets had lots of soul and funk but as regards jazz content that is debatable. Paradoxically, this was, I would guess, one of, if not the, best attended concerts of the Festival. If this helps to subsidise the jazzier events then so be it.
However, the music, irrespective of genre, was exciting albeit the show itself was a visually challenged event.
Ruby Turner bounced around with the exuberance and soulful utterances we have come to know and love via her appearances with Jools and on previous Sage gigs. Without doubt the Lord was on her side as she sang Gospel inspired numbers such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe's This Train with it's underlying suggestion of the work of Harriet Tubman who did so much to help free slaves after the American Civil War.
The downside was the stage lighting. For some reason it rarely caught Ms. Turner who appeared as a shadowy figure probably only recognisable from say the first 5 rows!
Nevertheless, she sounded good and the band, who were somewhat better lit, gave her sterling support.
No shortage of light for the Brand New Heavies who, with their new vocalist Dawn Joseph, soon had Hall One rocking. The horn section of trumpet and tenor blended well and they had some good solos. Ms. Joseph quickly removed most of her clothes to facilitate her onstage cavorting and it was both easy on the eye and the ear. Soon it became just  "the ear".
"Everybody stand" she yelled and everybody did.
This was fine if you happen to be 7 feet tall of which it seems everyone in front of me was but for those who aren't, or are incapable of standing for long periods of time, it took a lot of shine off the gig. Indeed several of the more elderly members of the audience did leave early and I didn't blame them. 
My journey on the Quaylink bus was spent with a chap, much younger than me, complaining about paying for a seat at the concert and having to stand.
A bit of an anti-climax to what had been an otherwise absolutely fabulous weekend.
Lance.

1 comment :

Stocksfield Jazzer said...

Enjoyed the Ruby Turner gig greatly. I agree with you is is not Jazz, but certainly hits the blues button. For various reasons we did not stay for the Brand New Heavies - sounds like (as an older, shorter Jazz [and Ruby Turner] fans) we may have made the right choice!

Why do the Sage insist on booking two major acts for the same concert? I suspect it is to maximise revenue, by attracting two different audiences. At least Ruby Turner was allowed an encore this year. Last year we were allowed one hour of Roberto Fonseca - NO encore. We then had to endure nearly two hours of some Columbian Salsa (it's all the same!) band, as they (being second) were allowed an extended encore.

It may be a "Serious" thing, rather than a "Sage" thing, as some of last year's LJF fixtures also featured two major bands/artists on the same bill.

Blog Archive