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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

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. 7:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 11: Mo Scott Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!

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.

Thu 17: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Olivia Cuttill Quintet @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 17: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra UK: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Thu 17: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 17: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. Guests Jeremy McMurray (keys); Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Mark Toomey (alto sax); Adrian Beadnell (bass). 8:30pm. 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

Sunday, September 11, 2016

CD Review: Dyad Plays Jazz Arias

Lou Caimano (alt); Eric Olsen (pno) + Randy Brecker (tpt/flug); Ted Nash (ten).
(Review by Lance).
Jazz Arias! Seven instrumental takes on operatic arias by a duo who've already trod that road with their previous, critically acclaimed, release - Dyad Plays Puccini. Olsen arranged 5 and Caimano 2. both did a job.
Wolfgang provides a robust opening track, Fin ch'han dal vino which translates as Until they have become hot-headed with wine from the opera Don Giovanni. Brecker is on this one and, along with Caimano and Olsen, it's as fiery as the original with all three displaying a passion that conveys Mozart's intent - perhaps the guys had gotten into the mood with some Californian vino!
Alto and piano explore Habanero from Carmen. Olsen, spritely, lithe, dancing around Bizet's composition. Caimano, solemn at first then off to La Plaza Del Toros. 
Dyad continues its captivating romp with Massenet's Méditation from Thais. In the opera, the heroine reflects upon leaving her life of luxury and pleasure to find salvation through God - as one does - although I have my doubts as to whether these two guys were on the same train.
More Carmen, this time, it's Seguidilla in which Carmen flirts with her jailer and Caimano and Olsen flirt musically.
Randy Brecker enters stage left to rejoin Dyad, this time, on flugel, for Samuel Barber's Do not utter a word from his opera Vanessa. The V girl has covered up all the mirrors in her house, refusing to face her aging self (what a brilliant idea!) and not surprisingly it has a wailing blues feel to it with Brecker at the top of his game pouring out the plaintive feeling the aria demands.
Delibes provided The Flower Duet from Lakmé and Dyad added ace tenorman Ted Nash. The pleasant waltz proved to be fertile ground for the cool sounding Nash with Olsen weaving angular patterns and Caimano adding to the bouquet.
No operatic related performance would be complete with Verdi putting in an appearance. Guiseppe was my mother's favourite composer and, I'd like to think she'd have got something from this - perhaps not although it has to be said that her son did!
Nash stays on stage for a very dark piece from Otello where Desdemona is wrongly accused of infidelity (that Iago was a right stirrer!). Dio mi potevi scagliar (God, you could have thrown every evil at me). Even unsung, it's as dramatic a piece as you can imagine and the instrumentalists convey the mood without the need for words.
A Tour de Force.
Lance.
Available September 14.

1 comment :

Unknown said...

Thanks Lance! Your wonderful comments are much appreciated! For more information, please see www.dyadplays.com. Also a new video of DYAD Plays Jazz Arias is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM2cfXoYuxA. Thank you again for your kind words about my album!
Sincerely,
Eric Olsen

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