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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Tessa Souter w. Pete Gilligan Trio @ The Cherry Tree - April 13

Tessa Souter (vcl); Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms).
(Review by Lance).
A visit to the Cherry Tree on Osborne Rd. is invariably stimulating both musically and gastronomically and tonight they excelled themselves on both counts.
Almost two years have passed since I first encountered Ms. Souter on one of  the several CDs by the New York-based singer that are currently available. Beyond the Blue, a selection of standards based on classical compositions rated high on that year's jazz charts.
Last night, Caravan, from another CD, Listen Love, got the ball rolling and it soon became obvious that we and they were going to have a ball.
Yesterdays brought to mind Carmen McRae, Souter's voice has a similar texture although she later cited Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy to be her major influences. Nothing wrong with that!
Sting's Fragile was just that with some tasteful hand-drumming from Morgan. My table was next to the drums which, with some drummers, could be a recipe for indigestion. Not so Morgan. It was hard to comprehend that this was the first time all four had played together - they gelled.
Other numbers in the first set included a swinging Just One of Those Things; a compelling The Look of Love done as a jazz lieder - voice and piano - Pure Imagination and Freddie Hubbard's Little Sunflower.
Listening to Tessa Souter accompanied by Peter, Paul, and Russ whilst savouring the delights of a Haggis Scotch egg, celeriac and kohlrabi pickle followed by Rump steak and fries I decided, was pretty close to Shangri-la and I still had the second set and dessert to come!
On Green Dolphin Street; Wayne Shorter's Ana Maria with a dark and emotional lyric penned by Souter; Mark Murphy's Song For the GeeseChiaroscuro, based on Albinoni's Adagio in G minor and featured on the Beyond the Blue album referred to earlier; I'll Remember April;You Won't Forget Me from the 1953 Joan Crawford Film, Torch Song, later revived by Shirley Horn, was given exquisite treatment leading to the highlight, in an evening of highlights, - the merging of Ornette Coleman's Lonely Woman with the Beatles Eleanor Rigby.
Just think, all that and Apple Strudel with Custard!
Photos.
Lance.

4 comments :

Minnie Fraser (on F/b) said...

It was such a brilliant evening! She is an awesome singer and the PG trio did amazingly well, they sounded like they had been playing with her for years rather than having only just met her! Well done lads!!!!

Anne DeVere Harper (on F/b) said...

looks wonderful!!!

Lance said...

It was indeed awesome and wonderful. The Gilligan Gang were superb and Tessa another of the class vocal acts - Jo Harrup, Paul Skerritt, Alice Grace, Tessa Souter - that the Cherry Tree features so frequently.

Unknown said...

I feel so depressed that I could not make to be there. My friends who made loved it so much. Even though there were some technical problems during the first part of the gig the second part was just so amazing! I wish I were there! !!!! love her music!

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