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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15848 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 855 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Sept. 18).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: La Malbec Orchestra @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 21: Linsday Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Ray Stubbs R & B All Stars @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:30pm. Free.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: Brief Encounter @ Bardon Mill Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:00pm. Tickets: £10.00. adv from 07885 303166; £12.00. on the door. Chris & Veronica Perrin improvising to a screening of the 1929 'Jazz Age' silent film Piccadilly (Dir. Ewald André Dupont).
Fri 22: Paul Edis & Graeme Wilson + Three Tsuru Origami @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 22: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 22: Abbie Finn's Finntet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tanfield Railway, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. A '1940s Weekend' event.
Sat 23: Jason Isaacs @ Stack, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 23: Andrew Porritt & Keith Barrett @ Cullercoats Watch House, Front St., Cullercoats NE30 4QB. 7:00pm.
Sat 23: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Country blues.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Saturday, February 01, 2014

CD Review: Arild Andersen - Mira

Arild Andersen (bs); Tommy Smith (ten/fl); Paola Vinaccia (dms).
(Review by Steve H.)
This album has now become infamous as this was the last Jazz CD to be reviewed by The Scotsman much to Tommy Smith’s chagrin  Led by Norwegian Double Bass player Arild Anderson together with Scottish tenor player Tommy Smith and Italian born drummer but Norwegian resident Paola Vinaccia this trio come together for their second recorded collaboration in 6 years.  
The album starts with a brooding introspective piece Bygone which features a long bass solo by Anderson. Let bygone be bygones I say, as the next tune Blussy is almost funky and features a  rousing solo by Smith. This leads to the only cover on the album Burt Bacharach’s Alfie which is very sensitively and lyrically played by Smith’s saxophone   accompanied expertly by the other 2 band members. Rossetti  is a surprisingly lively number and the trio seem to really hit their stride. Reperate sees Anderson create a haunting atmosphere with the use of electronics. Raijin is a duet between drummer and Smith who plays the Shakuhachi - a Japanese style flute. Le Saleya has an almost Coltrane like feel, there is a certain poignant reflective quality about it. A brief interlude then comes in the way of another evocative shakuhachi solo Kangiten.  The title track Mira is a vehicle for Andersen to really  show his prowess, ably abetted by Smith and Vinaccia, to produce a rather fetching melodious offering.  The penultimate tune Eight and More sees Smith once more star on sax. The final track has an almost Eastern feel to it and if the title was to be guessed using  a crossword style clue it might read ‘heavy weight in middle of reviewer’ -  Stevtone.
This album was never likely to be wild wacky affair given its Nordic influences, however it is far livelier than one would imagine. The trio combine seamlessly to produce a highly enjoyable album. At least The Scotsman’s final Jazz review goes out on a high but what a shame it didn’t inspire them to continue reviewing music from the less popular musical genres. Hopefully if Scotland does become independent their residents will still be able to get Jazz reviews from sites such as this one although they may need a Scottish version ‘bejock spoken here’. 
 Arild Andersen - Mira is available on ECM Records.
Steve H.

1 comment :

Lance said...

I understand The Scotsman, under pressure from Scotsmen (and women), has since relented.

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