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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, February 05, 2014

CD Review: Lauren Kinhan – Circle in a Square

Lauren Kinhan – vocal; Andy Ezrin – piano, Fender Rhodes & B3 organ; Ben Wittman – drums & percussion; David Finck – bass; Will Lee – bass.
Special guests: Randy Brecker – trumpet; Romero Lubambo – guitar; Chuck Loeb – guitar; Donny McCaslin – tenor saxophone; Joel Frahm – tenor saxophone; Gary Versace – accordion; Peter Eldridge – piano.
(Review by Debra Milne).
Lauren Kinhan is an established  American jazz singer and songwriter, best known  for her  longstanding involvement in New York Voices , and also as a member of  ‘vocal supergroups’  Moss and  JaLaLa, the latter a trio with Manhattan Transfer ‘s  Janis Siegel and Laurel Masse. Circle In A Square is her 3rd solo album, and is composed of entirely original material, recorded with a core of longstanding musical collaborators and a host of special guests. She  co-produced the project with Elliott Scheiner , whose  previous credits  include  albums with Steely Dan,  Sting, Paul Simon & BB King , and no less than 7 Grammys. 
The album showcases Kinhan’s   soul  infused  jazz voice, particularly  in  the up  tempo numbers. However, the  first and  title track, inspired by her husband’s love of his record collection,   starts  quietly with  Brecker  & Ezrin accompanying sparingly on trumpet and  Fender Rhodes , before the rhythm section kicks in with a laid back groove. I’m Looking For That Number is particularly funky, augmented by a punchy horn section, with one of several great solos from Ezrin, this  time  on B3 organ .  Kinhan’s  soulful delivery is  particularly  effective  in Another Hill To Climb,  where  the  piano and string quartet augment  the developing emotion of  the vocal.  In contrast, Chasing The Sun is a rhythmic, groove based, Latin infused, wordless piece, composed of  layers of voices and instruments, overlaid  with scat  improvisation and Romero Lubambo’s  solo on guitar. 
A  straightforward  piano trio  suffices in  the contemplative We’re Not Going Anywhere Today, and her excellent intonation and scatting  are highlights of the  bebop style Bear Walk, which also features  a  fine electric bass solo from Will Lee,  and Randy Brecker on trumpet.  Kinhan  makes a distinctive contribution to the shoe- related musical canon  with Chaussure’s Complex, a sensuous tango featuring Gary Versace on accordion , although  it is unlikely to  displace Kirsty McColl, Paul Simon or  Elvis Costello  as  leaders of the  Footwear Top Ten*. Nevertheless, Circle In A Square is an impressive  album, which  captures  this  singer and composer  in  the prime of her musical career.
[*In These Shoes?; Diamonds In The Sole Of Her Shoes; The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes]
Lauren Kinhan: Circle in a Square is available on Dotted i Records. Sample.
Debra M.

3 comments :

Unknown said...

Hi Lance and Debra, Lauren Kinhan, here. Thanks for the strong nod. I'm having the time of my life touring this music and expanding as an artist. I hope these shoes carry me to England sometime soon.
Cheers, Lauren

Lance said...

Shoes? Vagabond Shoes (Vic Damone); These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (Nancy S.); Hi Heel Sneakers (Stones/Buddy Guy); Sand in my Shoes (Connie Boswell); Boots (Rudyard Kipling) any more footwear suggestions?

Debra Milne said...

Eugene says 'The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys' by Traffic & Lauren may be interested to know my husband is getting out the vinyl now to play it!

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