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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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

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.

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).

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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