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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

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: 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.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

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

Saturday, December 20, 2014

CD Review: Vance Thompson's Five Plus Six - Such Sweet Thunder

Vance Thompson, Michael Wyatt, Joe Jordan (tpt/flug); Tylar Bullion, Sean Copeland (tmb); James Mitchell (alt/sop); Greg Tardy (ten bs. clt); David King (bar/sop);  Keith Brown (pno); Taylor Coker (bs); Nolan Nevels (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Reimagining Ellingtonia, Monk and Dolly Parton is the album's subtitle. Well, Hello Dolly, I guess you never quite expected to be moving in such exalted jazz circles! By the same token I think Monk and Duke may have been equally surprised to be alongside Country's most Royal personage!
The heart of Five + Six is Thompson's working quintet - the Marble City Five (in bold above) - augmented  by additional horn players to make for a cracking biggish band ensemble.
Little Sparrow, to be honest, bears little resemblance to Dolly's version although that shouldn't be allowed to detract from what is a cracking track - maybe Dolly has yet to hear it?
Ellington is represented by Strayhorn's Isfahan, their collaboration on the title track Such Sweet Thunder and Duke's Prelude to a Kiss and Rockin' in Rhythm. Monk kicks in with Pannonica, Ugly Beauty and Four in One whilst He's Gone Away is based on a traditional Appalachian folk tune and dedicated to the late great bassist Charlie Haden. It is as poignant as Goodbye Pork Pie Hat was when recorded by another bass player nearly sixty years ago. Keith Brown - son of Donald - arranged Prelude and, with a bit of help from dad, Four in One. Thompson charted the rest as well as blowing fine trumpet and flugel.
Brown proves himself to be a worthy son of an illustrious father and Tardy's tenor is not tardy but very much Tardy! (I just love these wordisms!) 
Prelude, not surprisingly, is quite an adventurous arrangement yet does not lose the impact of the original. It's one of those tunes where you think, "I could have composed that" but, of course, you didn't - you missed out - just like you did on Happy Birthday and White Christmas!
If you're emotional, have the tissues on standby for He's Gone Now.
A beautiful CD available on Shade Street Records on January 6, 2015.. 
Lance.
Live version of Rockin' in Rhythm.

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