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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Thursday, September 19, 2013

CD Review: Suzi Stern - Romancing The Dark

Suzi Stern (voice, percussion); George Oldziey (piano, accordion, percussion);  Paul Unger (acoustic bass); James Anderson (violin); Steve Schwelling(drums, percussion) Also various musicians on cello, violin, viola, trumpet, clarinet, trombone, guitar, acoustic bass, drums.
(Review by Ann Alex)
Suzi Stern has released 7 jazz CDs previously, but for her latest release, Romancing The Dark, she has stepped outside of the jazz idiom, and come up with an album of her own original compositions and arrangements.  I’m afraid to say that this CD didn't quite cut the mustard for me.  The voice is sweet, with competent singing and good work from the musicians, but the songs mostly don’t catch the listener’s attention.  Perhaps more hooks are needed for full enjoyment of the lyrics, which are closer to a wandering poetic style rather than the sharper, catchier words which go well in songs.
I did however quite like the tracks Haunted Heart (a neat bit of jazz type singing with an effective violin solo) and Sleepwalking Girl (a jazzy piano, with cymbals and bass) but my attention wandered a bit during the other tracks.  I’d have liked to see a photograph of the musicians on the CD cover, as they have done quite a good job on the album.  For instance, Sounds Are Louder In The Dark has the musicians producing a choppy, tricky rhythm with a creepy sound which wouldn’t be out of place in a vampire film. And Tango For Tina includes a pleasing gypsy violin.  There would have been space for more photographs as all the lyrics of the songs are given, so the CD insert consists of quite a few pages.  I’d be interested to hear some of Ms Stern’s earlier jazz albums, for comparison with this one.
The CD is released on the Bus Biscuit Records label on September 24th 2013.
Ann Alex.

3 comments :

Suzi Stern said...

Thanks for taking the time to listen to the entire project Ann. Send me your address and I'll send you my jazz CD's which you may enjoy more.
suzistern@austin.rr.com

Suzi Stern said...

I'm not certain this made it to you so I'll post again: Thanks for taking the time to listen to the entire project Ann. Send me your address and I'll send you my jazz CD's which you may enjoy more.
suzistern@austin.rr.com

Lance said...

I've passed your message on to Ann - she'll be in touch.

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