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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - CANCELLED CEILING COLLAPSED!
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Monday, February 22, 2016

Kathryn Lowdon EP Launch @ Hoochie Coochie - Feb. 21


Kathryn Lowdon (vcl); James Harrison (keys); Paul Gowland  (saxes); David Gray (tmb); Elliot Todd (tpt); Katy Trigger (bs gtr); Steve Doyle (dms); Jasmin Storey (backing vcls).
(Review by Lance).
A curate's egg - the highs were high, very high, - the lows were somewhat less. Lowdon has an amazing range. Those of us old enough to remember Yma Sumac (and I may be the only one) will recall the Peruvian songstress' ability to span 5 octaves. Lowdon works in that dimension! When she hits it, it's game, set, and match. When she doesn't it's 0-6, 0-6..
Tonight it was mainly the former, although there were a few tiebreakers!
However, bearing in mind that this was the band's first ever live gig, it was an impressive performance and the dancers who eventually took to the floor appreciated the opportunity to shake a leg or three!
It began with a vamp till ready riff "triggering" an abnormal change in my heartbeat, or so I thought, but no, just sitting too close to the speaker - Katy can achieve that effect without playing a note!
Then on came KL, I Can Make You Feel Good she sang and we did feel good. On keyboard, James hit the right notes along with some better ones and the horns chipped in with solos and riffs..
Bewitched was an unexpected extract from the GASB. Verse sung with James' sympathetic accompaniment, before going into a medium swing blast with the band then back to James for the bridge then stomping off again on this, one of the most theatrical of Larry Hart's lyrics.
And indeed, theatre is an integral part of Lowdon's stagecraft, e.g. "Good morning heartache, sit down" and, right on cue, she sat down!
The occasion being the launch of her EP - Cake - not surprisingly, the most polished numbers were the 5 originals from the disc. What was surprising was the low-key approach to promoting them, in fact I didn't see anyone selling them!
Other material included a Beatles/Stones mix of  All the Lonely People and Satisfaction; Bang Bang, by Cher; Cry me a River (natch!) and an Aretha Franklyn tribute.
The band, augmented for the gig, did the business as expected with the horns filling in the gaps with solos and riffs. Harrison, as ever, the ace accompanist, Trigger the heartbeat and Doyle the lynchpin.
Oh yes and a special word for Storey who, on the final encore, was promoted from backing singer to duo partner and justly so.
An excellent gig but still, I feel, a work in progress.
Lance.

2 comments :

Liz said...

I remember Yma Sumac, what category does that place me in? don't answer that!!

Patti said...

Me too - I also remember Minnie Ripperton!

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