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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. 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

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

"James "Blood" Ulmer @ Rich Mix, Bethnal Green. EFG London Jazz Festival - November 13

James "Blood" Ulmer (guitar, vocal), Mark Peterson (bass guitar), Aubrey Dayle (drums).
(Review by Steve T).
This is my fifth consecutive London Jazz Festival but the first time I wanted to go for the endurance, or at least nine out of the ten nights. Things were already skewered by events back home in the North East, including The Cookers and Robert Glasper swapping nights with London. I knew early on I was going to the second Saturday so Plan A was Tuesday to Sunday. When James ‘Blood’ Ulmer was announced for the first Sunday, two trips became the only solution.

Ulmer’s music is widely heard as a blend of Jazz, blues, funk, rock and punk-rock, though I would refute the latter; I doubt very much that he spent his time listening to the Sex Pistols and the Clash or even the New York Dolls and Ramones. I suspect his indifference to tonality and revolutionary instincts come from Hendrix, Zappa, Beefheart, his blues influences (John Lee Hooker, Alberts King and Collins), his funk influences (particularly the P variety) and his old boss Ornette Coleman.
He has claimed nothing has happened with the guitar since Hendrix - not a view I share - but, despite his greatness and importance, Hendrix' music was mostly riff, verse, chorus, solo, mostly in 4/4. It would be impossible to accuse Blood of that. As a guitarist he's not really a virtuoso - that isn't the point - he's rough and raw and roars; there's nothing much by way of melody to whistle along to - and on occasion, pieces seem to just come to a sudden abrupt ending, and, as with Beefheart, - my guess as to the punk-rock confusion - there's far more going on than first meets the ear.
When playing in a bass-less violin trio he strings his guitar differently and occasionally employs horns and backing vocals in much bigger bands, the focus and emphasis of styles shifting accordingly. Tonight was about the power trio and the album Are you Glad to be in Americacoincidentally the only vinyl album I had by him and, while it's readily available in that format, a CD would cost a couple of limbs and whichever of my bright fancy, shirts I was wearing at the time. Instead, I bought nine albums, all of them good, and all a similar mix of styles but with the focus shifting according to the band and the musicians in that band. 

Rich Mix had wisely removed all chairs since they hosted Kandace Springs the previous evening. The faithful formed a tight throng emanating out from the stage, anticipation of greatness in the atmosphere. Anybody who turned up because it was a Jazz gig, anticipating silence from the audience and polite applause between solos, was destined for disappointment. Likewise, anyone who thought they were in for a bit of nostalgic hopping and hockling, with police riot squads arriving on cue, like we get from the BBC every time punk rock is mentioned. Although the throng noticeably thinned, numbers largely held up.

My plus one for the evening, a lifelong Bowie fanatic which has spilled over to Iggy and, early on, I turned to him and said Raw Powerthe title of one of Mr. Pops most famous albums. A couple next to us danced throughout - soul/ jazz-funk style - and I commended him on his lady, pointing out that my missus only allows this kind of thing under suffrage. A chap at the bar engaged me about the respective ages of Blood and Hendrix, was the latter still alive?
When you have a 'runaway train' like Blood and it feels like anything can happen, it's sometimes necessary to have a bass and drums pairing to keep it grounded, and I don't believe anybody could have done a better job than Peterson and Dayle in keeping this difficult music together.
The bass solo began fairly low key, but, once he got his funk on, it seemed to last the remainder of the set. I've seen so many slap bass players over the years that I tend to take most of them for granted but he seemed to find even more notes! Like Jaco in the live version of Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz from 8:30.
Singling out individual pieces would be pointless, even though the venue very helpfully provided me with a set-list (as well as the names of the band), but I only recognised a few, even though I've heard them all. It was about being there, living the moment, a little imbibing and lots of camaraderie among the faithful making it, not just a fantastic concert but a great night all round.  

Steve T.

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