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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

CD Review:Alexander Stewart - I Thought About You

Alexander Stewart (vcl) w. big band inc. Rob Barron (pno); Rob Anstey (bs); Andy Chapman (dms); Freddy Gavita (tpt); Andy Panayi (alt); Callum Au, Alistair White (tmb) as well as the City of Prague Philharmonic on 7 tracks.
(Review by Lance).
I've been a fan of Alexander Stewart since that night back in 2009 when I first heard him at London's The Spice of Life. I was knocked out then and I've been increasingly impressed by his progress.
This new CD - perhaps his most ambitious yet - rubberstamps my early judgement.
Yes, he's still a crooner, but he's today's crooner, albeit one who still looks over his shoulder and says, "If it was good enough then, then it's good enough now - if I do it my way!"
Stevie Wonder's Part Time Lover kicks things off with a wonderful Au trombone solo slotting in between the vocal choruses.
Willie Dixon's I Just Want to Make Love to You swings like Sinatra/Basie may have done on this one.
I Thought About You is rapidly becoming another Summertime but, with a difference, it's a tune you never get tired of hearing and, dare I say it? Jimmy Van Heusen was, with all due respect, more hip than either of the Gershwins. People forget, or don't realise,  the Gershwin songs we hear today are far removed from the composer's original intent which was schmaltzy Broadway show tunes. Jazz musicians and singers took them to a higher level. Freddy Gavita blows trumpet here and the symphony squad from Prague saw effectively away in the background.
Brother Can You Spare a Dime? - a Yip Harburg tune, written in the post World War I depression days - may seem a strange choice (apart from being a great song) but in today's turbulent times who knows that it won't become appropriate once more? Hopefully not, but this is the best version since Bing!
Human, the first of 4 originals by the singer, shows that he's no slouch as a composer/lyricist - Gavita pours some flugelhorn icing on the cake.
The Look of Love tends to slot into the easy listening genre (like most Bacharach/David) until Andy Panayi blows cool sax.
How Glad I Am brings back memories of listening to pirate radio stations in the 1960's and feeling as though I was part of a revolution even though the nearest they got to jazz was Kenny Ball!
Speed of Darkness, another original by Stewart, in conjunction with longtime collaborator Alex Webb. Tommy Emmerton provides the guitar blast.
The Sweetest Feeling, a Jackie Wilson classic hits the spot.
Fragments, another original, has a Gregory Porter feeling about it and Stewart doesn't need a funny hat! Listen to the string writing!
Suitcase of Dreams. A superb, relaxed original with Stewart floating above piano, bass, guitar and drums. A love song worthy of the GASbook or it's British equivalent. Superb!
A House is Not a Home. More Bacharach/David - they can play this in my lift anytime.
Alexander Stewart is a voice to be reckoned with. and an album that will certainly figure in my Vocal Discs of the Year 2016.
Lance.
Released Sept. 9 - pre-order.

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