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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.).

Friday, May 10, 2013

Stravena @ Hoochie Coochie 8/5/13

Sarah Travena (sop sax/flute) Mark Williams (guitar) Alan Law (piano) John Pope (bass) Mark Robertson (Drums)
(Review by Ed Case)
A very well attended night at Hoochie Coochie kicked off with a flawless arrangement of No More Blues, Sarah's sop. sax making light work of the many changes and the rhythm section kept the piece firmly placed in Brasilia. 
How High the Moon was excellently handled by Sarah, floating over the band, ornamenting beautifully a loose interpretation of the melody rubato before kicking it into tempo with a three times tag. As if this wasn't pleasing enough the whole thing morphed into Ornithology half way through with Mark and Sarah taking an obviously well rehearsed dual head. (Sounds filthy!)
Angel Eyes was beautifully brought in with sax and guitar harmonising over a Dave Liebman composition, setting a precedent for Sarah’s sax to bring real thought to a very tenderly played piece. Mark Williams took up the B languidly, making as much of a statement with his use of dynamics as the notes he chose; as ever, improving and owning any tune he embarks on.
The whole band took a nice change of pace, heading towards a rolling, gospel feel for Joe Zawinul’s Country Preacher, its laid back Cannonball groove working very well in the context of the set and piqued the interest of even the non ‘jazz’ members of the audience.
All or Nothing at All fairly skipped along, the work of John Pope and Mark Robertson allowing Sarah to take a tasteful and brief solo to finish the first set. The band leaving the stage so quickly some of us thought they had split up...
But no, Alan Law opened the second set with a solo account of All the Things You Are, a nice defined ‘Oscary’ moment before the band joined into a medium swing over a dinky motif.  Mark’s solo playfully quoting from some equally well known pieces, all the time being fully supported by John’s bass playing. Some fours allowed Mark Robertson to come to the fore (no pun..), his sense of humour obvious even when its medium is wordless.
Chucho had some drunks - sorry, punters - dancing at the bar but they were at a loss as what to do over Donna Lee Ha! Not surprised, it was a fair clip.
The classic There Will Never be Another You’ was never allowed to descend into cliche, the band really proving that an accomplished group of musicians can bring a fresh feel to any tune, no matter how many times it’s been played. The solo’s taken by Sarah, Alan, Mark and John were kept consistently interesting not only by the sense of personality each brought but the rhythm section’s refusal to rest on their laurels, the pedal John wrought over the end of Mark's solo a particular high for me. And one member audibly shouting ‘8’s, 4’s, 2’s!’ over the rest of the band meant the fun was only starting.
They finished with a funk (don’t know what it was) giving Sarah a chance to break out her flute and for Mark to use some of the extensive effects he had with him. Shame the flute was only out for the one song but well worth it regardless.
I really hope this band continue in this vein, a hugely promising start to Sarah Travena as a saxophonist and leader. 
Ed Case

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