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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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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