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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17372 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 656 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (Sept. 17).

From This Moment On ...

September

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 1:00-2:45pm. Free.
Sat 21: Vieux Carré Hot Four @ The Beehive, Hartley Lane, Earsdon Whitley Bay NE25 0SZ. 4:30pm-6:30pm.
Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sun 22: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Richard Herdman @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 22: Remy CB Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:30pm. Free. Remi, 2024 Newcastle Uni graduate, superb soul/blues voice!

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Paul Booth with the Paul Edis Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert! SOLD OUT!

Tue 24: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv. from Tully’s of Rothbury). Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 24: Sarah Gillespie @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £16.50. Duo performance with Chris Montague.

Monday, December 21, 2015

CD Review: The Count Basie Orchestra – A Very Swinging Christmas (Concord Jazz CJA-38450-02)

(Review by Peter Bevan)
This CD arrived too late for my regular CD review column in the Northern Echo but I think it’s well worth a plug here.
Normally I’m pretty averse to Christmas albums, jazz or otherwise, and long running tribute bands normally start to fade after a while, but this made me think again.
It’s 80 years since the original Count Basie Orchestra was launched and it’s been 30ish since this revival band was formed.
Scotty Barnhart, a member of the trumpet section for 20 years, was appointed director a year or two ago and judging by this he has revitalised the band.
What also helps is that veteran arranger Sammy Nestico, now 90, was persuaded to come up with two new arrangements, his first for the band in 35 years – Jingle Bells and Good “Swing” Wenceslas, and Big Phat Band leader and Grammy winner Gordon Goodwin arranged It’s the Holiday Season, The Christmas Song and Sleigh Ride with other arrangements by Scotty Barnhart and Frank Foster among others.
Two more veterans, both octogenarians also contribute – pianist Ellis Marsalis plays some suitably sparse but swinging piano, and tenor player Plas Johnson guest solos on I’ll be Home for Christmas.
The three vocals are by Johnny Mathis on It’s the Holiday Season, Ledisi on The Christmas Song and Carmen Bradford – originally hired by Basie himself – brings us Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas but the rest are instrumentals.
The album was produced by former Basie drummer and seven-time Grammy winner Gregg Field who obviously can’t resist sitting in on some tracks.
What makes it worthwhile for me is that it does seem to capture the sound and spirit of the Basie band with great ensemble and solos with that distinctive rhythm section with suitably sparse piano from both Ellis Marsalis and Llew Matthews and notable rhythm guitar from Will Matthews.
Detailed notes identify all the soloists and arrangers.
You can hear samples on Amazon’s website where they’ve also got several rather enthusiastic reviews.
Peter Bevan.
The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart with very special guests Johnny Mathis, Ledisi, Ellis Marsalis, Llew Matthews, Carmen Bradford, Gregg Field and Plas Johnson.
The rhythm section: Ellis Marsalis piano, Marcus McClaurine bass, James Leary bass, Will Matthews guitar, Clayton Cameron drums.
Saxophones: Marshall McDonald alto and flute; Cleave E. Guyton Jr, alto, flute, piccolo; Doug Lawrence tenor, flute; Doug Miller tenor; Jay Brandford baritone.
Trumpets: Mike Williams lead; Bruce Harris. Endre Rice, Kris Johnson.
Trombones: David Keim lead, Clarence banks, Alvin S. Walker, Wendell Kelly

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