Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15867 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 874 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (Sept. 25).

From This Moment On ...

September

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Sat 30: John Pope Quintet + Late Girl + Shapeshifters @ Bobik's, Jesmond, Newcastle.
Sat 30: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

OCTOBER

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Anita Wardell @ The Globe - May 14.

Anita Wardell (vcl); Robin Aspland (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Tristan Maillot (dms).
(Review by Lance).
The old adage that "Those that can do and those that can't teach" didn't apply here. Ms. Wardell does both better than anyone around, as any of the students who attended this weekend's jazz vocal course at the Globe will attest to. Indeed, if only 50% of her talent rubs off on those aspiring singers some of the more established names will soon be looking over their shoulders.
The Jazz Coop's HQ was understandably crowded although it has to be said that, with a couple of exceptions, the north-east 'jazz faithful' were prominent by their absence.
Their loss, poor souls!
Cathedral bells were tolling and our hearts sang on/Was it the spell of Paris or the April dawn?/Who knows if we shall meet again/But when the morning chimes ring sweet again... 
A verse I didn't recognise but the chorus I certainly did. I'll Be Seeing You. However, this was no Vera Lynn (bless her!) version but more Ella meets Betty Carter with a scat solo any horn player would be proud of -providing their fingers could move fast enough. Talking fingers - what piano playing from Robin Aspland! Is he the most underrated 88er in the UK? Undoubtedly!
Oscar Pettiford's Tricotism saw more vocal dynamics, Aspland again outstanding, Grainger still in the game and Maillot's brushwork exemplary. 
Ballad time. Young and Foolish. Why are the wannabees still singing Summertime and Funny Valentine when there are songs like this around? Wardell takes it to places where Edmund Hockridge would fear to tread, The phrasing, the choice, yet unexpected, intervals that the lady incorporates is further proof that we're in the presence of someone special.
Willow Weep For Me (Maillot on mallets); Jobim's Dreamer led to By the Light of the Silvery Moon which segued into What a Little Moonlight Can Do with more amazing scatting that left everyone breathless.
Time to top up the Gold Tankard. An appropriate beverage. On a night like this, silver or bronze was out of the question!
The second set opened up with All God's Chillun Got Rhythm, well maybe not all of 'em but certainly the four on stage have it in abundance! I've Never Been in Love Before. Then an emotive Some Other Time with just voice and piano. Anita dedicated this to Angela Elliott. She didn't elaborate and I wondered, sadly, if this was the Angela E who wrote for the blog in our early days? Angela lived in London, sang jazz and was also a published author. I hope not. (It wasn't!)
The Jon Hendricks lyric to Don't Getz Scared brought Annie Ross to mind and Oleo saw the night out. I should have left earlier but no way could I miss this, so taxi was ordered!
Lance

1 comment :

Jen said...

A spot on review Lance. Couldn't agree more with what you say. My favourite although hard to chose was Young and Foolish - brought tears to my eyes - so much emotion in Anita's voice.

Blog Archive