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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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

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).

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

Friday, January 06, 2017

CD Review: Ron Boustead - Unlikely Valentine

Ron Boustead (vocals); Bill Cunliffe (keys/B3); Mitchel Forman (keys/B3Accordion); John Leftwich (bass); Jake Reed (drums/perc.); Pat Kelley (guitars); Bob Sheppard (saxes/flute); Bob McChesney (trombone); Ron Stout (flugel); Fabiana Passoni (vocal on Til Now).
(Review by Lance).
Unlikely Valentine is an apt title as I don’t get many Valentine cards these days – I think the last one was in 1982 and then it was meant for the house next door – at least that’s what I told my wife which was when she told me that she'd sent it!.
There was an occasion at Blaydon Jazz Club on one VD when Zoe Gilby, upon discovering that I hadn’t received any cards, dedicated the most famous Valentine song of them all to me. Lots of sympathetic purring all round but the sympathy didn’t develop further!
Zoe and Alan Law, incidentally, are on at the Jazz Caff tonight – 9pm and free!
Back to the CD.
Boustead has covered the genres over his 34 year career much of which is reflected in the album.
The title track, based on the chords of the Rodgers and Hart classic has a lyric by Boustead but, close your eyes and it could be Jon Hendricks, Mark Murphy or even, at a stretch, Mel Tormé. Cunliffe solos, arranges and Sheppard blows bop tenor. Think Marty Paich and you’ve got the idea.
Love Potion Number 9! Loved The Coasters recording – the lyric is out of this world – but never thought I’d hear it in a jazz context. A 6/8 jazz waltz with a touch of soul. B3 in there goosing it along.
Can you still buy bottles of the potion?
Let’s go out for Coffee is one of those contemporary lyrics that somehow catch the feel of today more than some of the better known GASbook items do. It's laidback and romantic with nice piano.
A must for every chanter/chanteuse.
I Won’t Scat has a Blossom Dearie feel to it but with B3 in there and it does have a few bars of some great scat!
Til Now (sic) a fluffy bossa with Passoni adding her vocal touches to Boustead’s.  If the album has a weak track this is it but, take it from me, it’s not that weak!
Autumn Leaves has Boustead vocalese - ing on a Chet Baker solo (he won’t scat but he will vocalese!) Tenor madness from Sheppard.
There's more much more. If this had been released in December it would be my vocal record of the year but, it's a long long time from January to December...
Lance.
Available - wait for it - on February 14. These marketing guys know their stuff.

1 comment :

Ron Boustead said...

Thank you for taking the time to listen to and write about my new CD, "Unlikely Valentine". We tend to create this music in our own little jazz vacuum, and it's always interesting and enlightening to hear reviews by objective, knowledgeable writers like yourself.
When you mention me in the same breath at Jon Hendricks, Mark Murphy and Mel Torme, you honor me more than you could know. All three are idols of mine, especially Murphy who I studied and emulated early in my career, and who took an interest in me and became, to some degree, my mentor.
I do love my new song "Coffee", so it's especially gratifying for you to single it out in the context of the Great American Songbook. I hope many other singer will take a crack at it.
And finally, I will remind you later in the year about your saying, "If this had been released in December it would be my vocal record of the year..."
Ron.

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