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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 21: Lindsay Hannon Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £15.00. ‘Swinging with Christmas Songs’.
Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 21: Jackson’s Wharf Xmas Party @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 7:00pm. Free. Featuring the New ’58 Jazz Collective.
Sat 21: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

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

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Julie Sassoon (solo piano) + Travelers @ Jazz Café November 25.

Antonin Tri-Hoang (reeds); Francesco Diodati (guitar); Matteo Bortone (bass); Ariel Tessier (drums)
(Review by Steve H.)
This superb JNE/Schmazz double bill was served on two levels both literally and metaphorically. The night began on the ground floor. Berlin based Julie Sassoon performed a superb solo piano recital. It is hard to categorise her music -  is it jazz or is it improvised contemporary classical? But, frankly, who cares? it is simply spellbinding. Sassoon, after apologising to the audience for playing with her back to them, opened with an untitled piece which was something that just happened to take her mood at the time. This was followed by 44  at the conclusion of which Sassoon turned to the audience and explained the context of the next piece Land of Shadows.  
Six years ago, on her previous and inaugural visit to Tyneside, Sassoon played a solo gig at the Cluny. During this gig, whilst actually playing, Sassoon  had an epiphany about what direction her music should be taking. The focus of the work was to be her German Jewish roots (her great grandparents were murdered in Auschwitz by the Nazis)  and in 2009 she moved to Berlin to pursue this project. The piece, not surprisingly, was sombre, deep and dark convincingly conveying the horrors of that time. The set concluded with the upbeat New Lives taken from the same named 2006 album. This had the feel of an uplifting church organ recital. Sassoon’s playing is unique, her physical relationship with the piano fascinating to observe. The constantly changing rhythms and timbres of her playing are invigorating and the augmentation of the piano with vocal accompaniments add a spiritual dimension to the performance.
After a well deserved encore the audience made their way  upstairs..
The Travelers are a Euro Combo: Italian Diodati and Bortone on guitar and bass respectively heading from Rome to hook up in Paris with Frenchmen Tri-Hoang and Tessier on reeds and drums.  It took a while to get into this gig probably because I was still overwhelmed from the earlier downstairs performance. It was clear though from the first two numbers Locked Room and Sunday Supermarket that this was a very talented band. By the time the third number Just Played had completed I was completely won over by this tight blend of 21st Century jazz rock fusion. Diodati was particularly inventive with all the electronic wizardry at his disposal.
A  glorious ballad Olvidar  featuring Tri-Hoang on clarinet set up the rest of the evening perfectly. A Led Zeppelin tributeHouses of the Holy was followed by No Land Highspot. By the time the finale, Beraska, was played the whole room was buzzing. What I particularly liked about this band was that rather than each member taking formulaic stage-managed solos on a rotational basis the solos were integrated into the ensembles overall performance so that the groove remained unbroken.
A delighted and  fulfilled audience departed the Jazz Café and I am sure I could hear shouts of Bravo, Formidable and  Wunderbar echoing down Pink Lane.
Steve H.

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