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Bebop Spoken There

James Brandon Lewis: "Sometimes I'm not thinking about anything other than blowing the paint off the walls, and other times I'm narrating a story about my life." - (DownBeat 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

15516 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 536 of them this year alone and, so far, 25 this month (June 7).

From This Moment On ...

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: Jeffrey Hewer @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington. 6:00-8:00pm. Free.
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.
Sun 11: Jam No. 19 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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.).

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 14: NUJO Final Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcastle. 6:30pm. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra's final jam session of the academic year. All welcome.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 15: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 15: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Thu 15: Alexander Ord Trio @ Tynedale Beer & Cider Festival, Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. Evening, time TBC.
Thu 15: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. Time TBC.
Thu 15: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 16: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 16: Stu Collingwood @ Baltic, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £15.75. A Let's Caper event featuring exhibitions, food, music etc.
Fri 16: Steve Beresford-Hannah Marshall-John Butcher @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. JNE promotion.
Fri 16: James Taylor Quartet @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Fri 16: Customs House Big Band @ Customs House, South Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 16: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 16: New Orleans Brass Band @ Billy Bootlegger's, Arch 2, Stepney Bank, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. NOBB directed by Jason Holcomb.

Friday, May 31, 2013

CD Review: Spiritual Jazz Vol 4 - Americans in Europe.

Although the blurb below is a press release from Jazzmen Records I endorse some of it and would elaborate more if the booklet had been written in braille as opposed to the miniscule font size. Having said that, I understand it is also available as a triple LP where, presumably the sleeve notes are more suitable for us 20-20 visioners!. The music, however, is, in the main, interesting. And the avant garde I abhorred back then is nearer accessibility. Who would imagine that I would derive pleasure from Albert Ayler's tortured version of my most unfavourite tune Summertime (familiarity breeds contempt)? and yet it is possibly the only Ayler record I've got something out of! Jazz is a strange world never ceasing to throw you a curve...
Lance.
Having taken a look at the underground American scene, and then an in-depth look at the European scene, the fourth installment in Jazzman Records' Spiritual Jazz series takes a look at recordings made by American artists in Europe. This 21-track double CD (or triple LP) collection features some big names, though these particular recordings come from hard to find albums that have mostly never been reissued
Studie Nr1 fur 12-saitige Gitarre from Swiss guitarist Pierre Cavalli with Sahib Shihab guesting on flute kicks off proceedings. A trippy blues number, it's Shihab's flute playing that really makes this tune stand out. This mix of American and European musicians as well as a mix of styles characterises a lot of the music on this collection.
Jazz Rule sees pianist Hampton Hawes teaming up with British saxophonist Johnny Hawksworth – not to be confused with the bassist of the same name - on what is a very catchy swinging tune, and as good as this is, it's only part of the warm-up to what is on the whole an amazing collection. 
Drummer Clarence Peters leads an amazing quartet on Born & Shake, previously only available on privately pressed album released in France. From there it's on to The Call, a spiritual number in jazz waltz time from Sahib Shihab, Sun Ra's quirky but infectious Enlightment and Albert Ayler's stunning version of Summertime.
The spirit of John Coltrane infuses many of the tracks included on this set, and Billy Gault's magical Mode For Trane directly cites his influence. 
Other standout tunes include the classic Five, Four And Three by Lee Konitz and Ol by the Noah Howard Group, as well as the two epic 18-minute plus tracks that complete the collection ~ The Creators from the Bobby Hutcherson & Harold Land Sextet, and Springtime from Eric Dolphy.
The first three volumes in this series have all been outstanding compilations, but it could just be that Spiritual Jazz 4: Americans In Europe* is the best of the lot. Essential listening. (Listen here.)
Released in March 2013 on Jazzmen Records.


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