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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

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.
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: 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.

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

Sunday, July 05, 2015

CD Review: SNJO w. Makoto Ozone - JEUNEHOMME Mozart's Piano Concerto No 9 K-271

(Review by Lance).
"Jazzing the Classics" has, over the years, become quite commonplace with, it has to be said, varying degrees of success. Nine times out of time my feeling has been; Why didn't they leave well alone? A notable exception was Ellington's take oTchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and another one is this concert recording by the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra of Mozart's Piano Concerto No 9 K-271 with Makoto Ozone in the hot seat.
We know that SNJO have a penchant for this sort of thing having heard their version of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. That was fine but, given the superior material that they have to work on here, this is several notches above even that sterling effort.
Ist Movement, subtitled Allegro Swing, reveals Ozone to be a pianist more than capable of handling the straight sections. Tommy Smith has an extended workout on tenor followed by some agile bass work by Gourley. Underneath, the pianist comps before breaking out and laying down his jazz credentials for all to hear. Andre Previn and Jacques Loussier are the only others I can think of who covered both idioms so well.
2nd Movement, subtitled Andantino Tango, opens with a Smith tenor cadenza leading into a rich probing exposition of the theme over Ozone's explorative background before the pianist once more takes centre stage - pianists do this in piano concertos. Pattison maintains the melancholy mood on soprano and Ozone returns to gently take us down into the arms of the orchestra.
3rd Movement, subtitled Rondo/ Presto Be-Bop, you know by the subtitle is going to be the swinger - and it is!
One moment Ozone is playing straight then it becomes Monkish and then a sort of ragtime cum stride chorus. Tom Walsh takes it up blowing hard bop trumpet followed by Ozone swinging his butt off throwing in a couple of bars of Honeysuckle Rose! A slower, out of tempo, go at the original - this, maybe, is Mozart playing after hours in the bierkeller. Some shouting trombone from Chris Grieve then Ozone takes it on a Night Train ride. More soprano from Pattison then Cosker builds up his drum solo telling the jazz people the end is nigh bringing the band in at fff telling the classical people it will soon be over but not before Ozone returns to give a few quirky bars of cocktail piano, some more stride before reassuring Mozart that all's well at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh.
An album that will surely delight open minded jazzers and classicists alike.
SNJO w. Makoto Ozone - JEUNEHOMME Mozart's Piano Concerto No 9 K-271 will be available on Spartacus Records from July 31.
Lance.
Makoto Ozone (pno); Tommy Smith (ten/fl/MD), Konrad Wiszniewski (ten), Ruaridh Pattison (alt/sop), Martin Kershaw (alt/clt), Bill Fleming (bar); Cameron Jay, Tom MacNiven, Tom Walsh, Lorne Cowieson (tpts); Chris Grieve, Phil O'Malley, Michael Owers (tmb) Calum Gourlay (bs), Alyn Cosker (dms).

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