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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 ...

June

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

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.
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.

Friday, November 21, 2014

John Wilson Orchestra - Cole Porter in Hollywood. Sage Gateshead.

John Wilson (cond/md/arr etc.); Anna-Jane Casey/Scarlet Strallon/Matthew Ford/Richard Morrison (vcls); +full orchestra).
(Review by Lance).
A lovely afternoon listening to some of Cole Porter's finest songs expertly arranged by John Wilson (of Gateshead) and sung by four of the finest interpretors of the idiom.
BSH's Elizabeth of York (AKA as Liz) had made the journey north and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
This wasn't a jazz gig, although there were one or two tasty sax/clarinet breaks and I think I recognised Colin Oxley on guitar, but the music of Porter is timeless and has fuelled the repertoire of most jazz musicians.
After the overture, a medley of Porter tunes, the four singers came forth for Don't Monkey With Broadway. This got the three tier full crowd in the mood for the contrasting I've Got You Under my Skin and then the superb You're The Top. Ford and Casey not only sang Porter's lyric - surely the best ever list song: -
You're the top/You're the Colosseum,/You're the top/You're the Louvre Museum/etc. - but with slight facial gestures that added to the humour of the lyric.
I swear that that song has more verses than Let's Do it which in fact they didn't do!
Space prevents me mentioning all of the highlights but Strallen's So In Love and Morrison's Where is the Life That Late I Led? - both from Kiss Me Kate - stood out. I didn't think the ballet sequence from The Pirate worked - with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland fine, but on its own? The instrumental ballet sequence that did work was the Silk Stockings score and From This Moment On, also from Kate. The latter had the vocal beginning but then went into the dance section. Nobody on stage was dancing but we in the stalls were metaphorically transformed into Bob Fosse, Tommy Rall and Bobby Van - Liz of course was Ann Miller!
Then there was the unknown You Can Do No Wrong that Andre Previn and Porter himself rated as his finest song. Not sure if it is his finest but it sure is fine - check out Judy singing it to Gene Kelly.
There was so much more - too much to mention.
The Broadway bounce of Anna-Jane, the neo-operatic charm of Scarlet, Matthew's belting baritone and Richard's dramatic tenor all combined to make this an afternoon few will forget.
All beautifully brought together by John Wilson and, of course,
Cole Porter!
Lance.

5 comments :

Liz said...

such an excellent review Lance, JW would be proud! Thanks again for a delightful afternoon spent in companionable perfection. We both chuckled in unison, did you notice?

Lance said...

We usually do - great minds and all that!

Phil Kelly said...

A wonderful afternoon at The Sage. Good to see you Lance.

Lance said...

You too Phil - envious of your Birdland T-shirt!

Liz said...

Hello Phil, good to meet you, you could auction that T shirt if times get hard!!

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