Total Pageviews

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

17444 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 718 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Oct. 10).

From This Moment On ...

October

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
The 10: Classic Swing @ Carlisle Rugby Club, Warwick Rd., Carlisle. 8:30pm. £9.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock). CANCELLED!
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 11: Mo Scott Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv.). Country blues guitar & vocals.
Sat 12: Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.28, £11.16, £9.04. A two-track recording launch gig.
Sat 12: Stuart Turner @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues etc. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 12: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 8:00pm. Free. New trio: Paula Whitty, Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy.

Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Emma Wilson @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 13: Catfish Keith @ The Cluny. 7:00pm. Country blues.
Sun 13: Cath Stephens & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Stephens & Grainger, one third of a triple bill.
Sun 13: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by Nina Simone, performed by Nicholle Cherrie.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass), Bailey Rudd (drums).

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Cath Stephens’ improvisation workshop @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 4:30-6:00pm. Collaborative group focusing on vocal improvisations.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Monday, June 20, 2016

Benet McLean: The Bopped and the Bopless CD launch -The 606 Club Chelsea, London June 16

(Review by Helen Theophanous/Photo courtesy of Benet McLean)
It is indicative of the high regard in which Benet McLean is held by his fellow jazz musicians that so many eminent names joined him to celebrate his CD launch  at the 606 Club in Chelsea.
With Julian Joseph at the piano Clark Tracey on drums, Daniel Casimir on bassSteve Williamson, tenor sax and McLean on amplified violin, the very first notes of Cole Porter's Just One of Those Things heralded that this was to be an exceptional evening of the best in contemporary jazz. McLean is already celebrated for his dazzling jazz piano playing but his virtuoso violin playing also translates easily to jazz with amplified sparse left-hand pizzicato leading to bravura treatments and intelligent exposition.
 Number after number revealed the range of enormous talent gathered for the occasion and the easy natural communication between them. McLean introduced celebrated guest musicians to the stage – tenor saxophonist Duncan Eagles, with whom he performed in Eagle's band Partikel, flautist Gareth Lockrane , pianist Harry Bolt  and singer Aydenne Simone whose deep rich resonant voice personified the sound of Monk’s 'Round Midnight.
Every piece embraced by McLean and his friends just took flight.

A moving and very special moment was created by the performance of Meditation from Thaïs by Massenet with Benet on violin accompanied by his brother, the celebrated international concert pianist Viv McLean. This was classical musicianship of the highest standard which perfectly illustrated that there are no musical barriers, only good music.
Particular mention must be made of the great interplay between Steve Williamson and McLean, who played amongst other things Monk's Trinkle Tinkle. In another guest spot the trio front-line of Duncan Eagles, McLean and flautist Gareth Lockrane gave an explorative up-tempo reading of Coltrane's Countdown before a steaming rhythm section came storming in. Rodgers and Harts’ Lover proved to be a brilliant showcase for leading drummer Clark Tracey.

As a gifted composer, singer, jazz pianist and jazz violinist Benet Mclean is a huge and unique talent following in the steps of  Stephane Grappelli (1908-1997). McLean is further developing the art of the jazz violin in his own style with the use of electronics and edgy modern fearless improvisation. He deserves international recognition.

The 606 Club has a long history of promoting the best in jazz, and host Steve Rubie welcomed the illustrious line up giving The Bopped And The Bopless the accolade of CD title of the year.  With five originals by McLean plus his arrangements of works by Gil Fuller/Dizzy Gillespie, J. Harvey, and The Ruts.  It is also one of the best jazz CD's of the year.
Helen.

1 comment :

Lance said...

When I reviewed this last month I must confess that it was Benet's piano playing that captivated me and I foolishly overlooked the violin playing! Thank you Helen for redressing the balance!

Blog Archive