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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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

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.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
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).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Saturday, August 13, 2016

CD Review: Masumi Ormandy - Sunshine in Manhattan

Masumi Ormandy (vcl); Lee Tomboulian (pno/arr); Dean Johnson (bs); Tim Horner (dms) + Paul Meyers (gtr); Houston Person (ten); Freddie Hendrix (tpt); Sara Caswell (vln).
(Review by Lance).
Masumi Ormandy had a dream, a dream that one day she'd record a jazz album. It didn't happen overnight, in fact, Ormandy was 77 before her dreams came to fruition. Prior to Sunshine in Manhattan, the Tokyo born singer taught English at her Pacific Language School. When her passion for jazz singing surfaced she moved from Tokyo to New York and studied with Roseanna Vitro, an esteemed clinician, performer, recording artist, and vocal instructor with 12 albums of her own including a Grammy Nomination.

After 3 months of study, Vitro decided the time was ripe for Masumi to record an album. Her mentor set up the musicians - a dream team with tenor legend Houston Person providing some gutsy solos, Freddie Hendrix blowing some Armstrong inspired licks and Tomboulian chipping in with the arrangements as well as some exemplary piano playing.
Ormandy sings well - not just for a 77-year-old but for an any year old!  Which brings me to the album cover. The photo was either taken 50 years ago or she's related to Dorian Gray!
It's easy listening and I say that without any derogatory connotations. Ormandy's got an appealing voice and it's good to hear Houston Person.
No great surprises amongst the repertoire.
On the Sunny Side of the Street; It Had to be You; They Can't Take That Away From Me; I'll Be Seeing You; Autumn Leaves; Misty; Blue Skies; As Time Goes by; Summertime (natch!) and My Way
Lance.
Available Sept. 12 on Miles High Records.

5 comments :

ElizabethT said...

Thanks, Lance! I would suggest that the treatment of "My Way" qualifies as a surprise in the repertoire. :-)

Lance said...

Certainly does Elizabeth. It's perhaps my least favourite Sinatra number and yet, Masumi does draw something out of it. Perhaps she DID do it her way! The violin helps to make this interesting - As you say, Elizabeth T, a surprise.

Roseanna V said...

Thank you for your review of Masumi's first album. I'd like to note, the cover photo was taken a couple of months ago by John Abbott. John knows how to use lighting for the best images but Masumi really looks and acts 30 years younger than her age. I think it's a testament to good Japanese genes, a healthy diet and doing what you love. She was an inspiration to work with and super fun to produce. Thanks again, so glad you liked the music. Roseanna V

Holly Cooper said...

Thank you, Lance, for this terrific review! Will spread the word now!

David Owen said...

The album opens with "They Can't Take That Away", which is apt given that Masumi has held on to the dream of releasing a jazz album for all her life.
She delivers a delightful and laid back album, which I find I can listen to over and over again.
The standout tracks, in addition to the one already mentioned are "Misty," "It had To Be You" because I love the acoustic guitar which features throughout and "Blue Skies."
A fantastic realisation of a long held dream and dreamy vocals which force you to stop and just listen and relax.

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