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Bebop Spoken There

David Hadju: "It was kind of a lightning bolt [seeing a photo of a hi-fi store that's now occupied by a phone store]. Everyone had hi-fi systems, now everyone has a phone" - (DownBeat May 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

Sun 28: Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia @ Whitley Bay Carnival. Free. Plaza Arena stage. 12 noon.
Sun 28: MSK @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 12:15pm. Free. Marquee stage. MSK - Steve Glendinning, Katy Trigger, Martin Douglas.
Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 1:30pm. Free. Marquee stage.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary's Church, Wooler NE71 6BZ. 3:00pm. £15.00 standard; £5.00 student/unwaged; free under 18. Afternoon Cocktail, a Wooler Summer Arts' concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 3:00pm. Free. Plaza Arena stage.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 28: King Bees @ The Delaval Arms, Old Hartley NE26 4RL. 5:00pm. Free. Chicago blues at its best!
Sun 28: Matt Anderson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Anderson (saxophones); Jamil Sheriff (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums).

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 30: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 30: Big Chris Barber Band @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.

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.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

DVD/CD Review: Jazz on a Summer's Day

(Review by Hugh).
This reissue contains both a DVD of the film and a soundtrack CD featuring the music in the film.
The Newport Jazz Festival of 1958 was a four day event, filming conducted primarily over the final two days (Saturday and Sunday).   The film takes the form of a documentary, but with sparse voiceover and the sounds are those recorded at the festival, including announcements.  The DVD features both the stage acts and shots of the audience, local life and ocean going yachts, trialling for the Americas Cup Race.
This makes for a great atmosphere.  The film is in colour – apparently a first for a jazz film, “bringing jazz out of the dingy basement into the sunshine”.  Premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 1959,  In 1999 it received its greatest accolade in being selected for preservation in the United States Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
The musical items featured are as follows:
Jimmy Guiffre Trio – The Train and The River
Thelonius Monk – Blue Monk
Sonny Stitt and Sal Salvador – Loose Walk
Anita O'Day – Sweet Georgia Brown; Tea for Two
Dinah Washington – All of Me
Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band – As Catch Can
Big Maybelle – I Ain't Mad at You
Chuck Berry – Sweet Little Sixteen
The Chico Hamilton Quartet – Blue Sands
Louis Armstrong – Up a Lazy River; Tiger Rag; Rockin' Chair; When the Saints Go Marching In
Mahalia Jackson – Walk All Over God's Heaven; Didn't It Rain; The Lord's Prayer
The above are also featured on the CD.  The film also features a short segment of Rondo by the George Shearing Quartet and a travelling (they play on various forms of open topped transport during the film) Dixieland band from Yale University, Eli's Chosen Six.
The film is a gem.  Edited down from a total of 130,000 feet of film to 8,000 feet, it runs for 77 minutes (before the credits).  It is both a record of these great artists performing and a historical snapshot of late '50s United States of America.  The crowd shots are particularly interesting – rows of empty seats (still familiar today) but a cross section of festival goers of all ages (unlike most UK jazz festivals today!).  My particular favourite moments were Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden duetting on Rockin' Chair and a shot of the cellist from the Chico Hamilton Quartet, Fred Katz playing Bach with his shirt off, alone in a darkened room and pausing to light himself a cigarette, before picking up his bow and starting where he left off.
The DVD also features an interview with the director, Bert Stern, full biographical details of the performers featured and a documentary providing an insight into the making of the film and the Newport Jazz Festival.
The CD and DVD come attractively packaged together in a folding cardboard case.  The centre pages have detailed (but not too detailed!) historical notes about the film and the festival, together with notes about the performers.  To an extent these replicate the notes found on the DVD itself and are more immediately accessible.
The CD and DVD are to be released in August by Charly (Charly X 686).
Hugh

1 comment :

Lance said...

Thanks Hugh what a memorable film that was. As a youth just discovering the joys of jazz I think I saw it it six times during the week it was released - cinemas didn't open on Sundays then otherwise it would have been seven. However, the most memorable moments for me were the two numbers by Anita O'Day. Not only did she sound good but she looked sensational in that outfit!

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