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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

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.
The 10: Classic Swing @ Carlisle Rugby Club, Warwick Rd., Carlisle. 8:30pm. £9.
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: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
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). CANCELLED!
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 11: Mo Scott Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv.). Country blues guitar & vocals.
Sat 12: Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.28, £11.16, £9.04. A two-track recording launch gig.
Sat 12: Stuart Turner @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues etc. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 12: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 8:00pm. Free. New trio: Paula Whitty, Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy.

Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Emma Wilson @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 13: Catfish Keith @ The Cluny. 7:00pm. Country blues.
Sun 13: Cath Stephens & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Stephens & Grainger, one third of a triple bill.
Sun 13: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by Nina Simone, performed by Nicholle Cherrie.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass), Bailey Rudd (drums).

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

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

CD Review: Tom Kennedy – Just Play

Tom Kennedy (bs); George Garzone (ten); Renee Rosnes (pno); Dave Weckl (dms) + Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour (gtr); John Allred (tmb); Steve Witts (ten).
(Review by Dave Brownlow.)
This album “Just Play” is an unashamedly swinging session led by bassist-extraordinaire Tom Kennedy where he and several friends, accomplished players all, enjoy work-outs on classic material.
The core group is a quartet comprising George Garzone on tenor, Renee Rosnes on piano, Dave Weckl, drums and the leader on acoustic bass, supplemented on separate tracks by Mike Stern on guitar, Tim Hagans on trumpet, Lee Ritenour on guitar, John Allred trombone, and Steve Wirts, tenor.
Sonny Rollins’ Airegin starts us off at a furious tempo with an unpredictable solo from Garzone and a horn-like one from Kennedy himself. Lee Ritenour is next featured on Bobby Timmons’ Moanin with soulful work from the whole quintet. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes follows, featuring Hagans, Allred and Wirts augmenting the quartet into  a nicely arranged performance in which Weckl’s drums “sparkle”. The tempo slows next for a Garzone rendition of Lee Morgan’s Ceora also featuring Rosnes airy, tasteful and flowing piano solo.
On his own One Liners, Mike Stern joins the group for this high energy swinger. Mike uses a distinctive, slightly distorted guitar tone which is reminiscent of Hiram Bullock’s work in Gil Evans’ freewheeling ensemble at The Sweet Basil .This cranks up the excitement level leading into a Rosnes solo which takes one in and out of “Tyner Country” with fleet-fingered right hand work over those memorable tri-tone left hand chords. Duke Ellington’s In a Sentimental Mood follows next at a lively tempo featuring the whole quartet.
Kennedy himself begins Bolivia with Cedar Walton’s familiar opening bass line and continues with a formidable solo showcasing his “monster chops. Renee Rosnes is herself featured next in a beautifully re-harmonised trio version of Brubeck’s In Your Own Sweet Way. Renee’s playing reminds one of Al Haig’s style, with graceful melodic ideas and well spaced-out phrases, combining with a lovely touch at the keyboard making the piano “sing”. Dave would have liked this track…..The album closes with a Rollins Trio-style (tenor/bass/drums) version of What Is This Thing Called Love which allows Garzone great freedom without any chordal support from piano or guitar. Here he goes “inside and outside” on these well-known changes, challenging drummer Weckl to some fiery exchanges en route.
As a bassist Tom Kennedy has the lot. A remarkable technique enables him to hold the rhythm section together whatever the tempo, and take solos which are horn-like in their construction. His tone is full and compelling, even cello-like when he ascends into the higher registers where his intonation is spot-on unlike some other famous players who have found it difficult to achieve ! I’ve not heard the bass played as fast since Scott La Faro’s days – in fact at times you would think Tom’s playing bass-guitar.
Overall, a most spirited and enjoyable CD where Tom’s exhortations to “Just Play” were fully realised by all concerned !
Tom Kennedy – Just Play is available on CAPRI RECORDS  #74122-2
Dave Brownlow

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