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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 ...

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, January 14, 2017

Film review: La La Land

(Review by Russell)
A fifties Technicolor look to it, a ‘Golden Age’ Hollywood musical soundtrack, Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is nailed-on to triumph at this year’ Oscars. Co-stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are a perfect match: jazz pianist Sebastian and aspiring Hollywood star Mia fall in love, dreaming of fame and fortune. Sebastian plays piano in LA’s cocktail lounges, longing to play jazz, to run a jazz club. In between auditions Mia works in a diner, despairing of ever getting a break.
As their romance blossoms, Mia tells Sebastian she hates jazz. Our pianist determines to take Mia to a jazz club – hearing the music live she’ll ‘get it’, won’t she? Sometime later Mia ventures: Kenny G? Sebastian tears his hair out!
A long-time musician friend makes Sebastian a $1000 a week offer to join his successful – though not quite jazz – band. Money talks, they tour the world. Mia struggles to make ends meet until finally, an audition wins her a starring role. Fame and fortune is hers. The couple split up. Five years later in a twist of fate, their paths cross – it’s too late, surely, for a reunion?
The jazz in La La Land is great, but, there isn’t much of it. Whiplash it ain’t. But as a film, Chazelle’s La La Land knocks spots off Whiplash.
Russell.            

13 comments :

Steven T said...

Thought you were resting after your sterling run in the lead up to X Mas, with no lapse in the usual high quality, but it seems you've been in La La Land.
I too reckoned nowt to Whiplash and not just the Buddy Rich worship which should be restricted to the rock drummers who saw him on the Ed Sullivan Show. There's only one Gene Krupa, one Kenny Clark, one Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham.
However, I'm always sceptical about a film(or anything else)where the whole of the media close ranks because they always seem to turn out to be mediocre or rubbish.
It's a badly kept secret that the Sound of Music changed my life and I've never had any interest in the charts since. I saw it 4 times during a wet holiday in Whitley Bay as a six year old in 1968 - nothing to do with Lisl. But apart from being great films, stuff like King and I, My Fair Lady and West Side Story also had great singers like Julie Andrews and Gertrude Lawrence and great songs by the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Bernstein.
The trend now seems to be towards people who have trained as actors, singers and dancers, like soapstars and general TV personalities in this country. And nobody seems to be talking about the music in La La Land.
Years ago I saw Miss Saigon and just found it boring until the helicopter turned up. For that reason I bought a cassette of Les Miserables ahead of seeing it and it made a huge difference, not just the several songs I really liked, but because I was familiar with the rest.
On the basis that I'd take more notice of Russell than anybody in the BBC etc, what's the word on the music in La La Land.

Lance said...

I'm looking forward to seeing La La Land although I seem to be the only one who did enjoy Whiplash - apart from those who nominated it for the Academy Awards.
It must have been the monsoon season in Whitley Bay to have watched The Sound of Music 4 times - once was enough for me!
I did see Buddy Rich 4 times. Once at Ronnie's, once at the Dominion Theatre and twice at the City Hall although I didn't see him on the Ed Sullivan Show.
I saw Gene Krupa with JATP and wasn't impressed, nor did Elvin Jones float my boat - Kenny Clarke did - Buddy remains the greatest drummer I've ever heard live.

Steve T said...

I'd probably put the Academy with the BBC; I didn't hate Whiplash but I don't think it lived up to the hype.
Perhaps you weren't the correct age for the appeals of the lovely Lisl. Is that a 'polite' way of putting it?
I still think Sound of Mucous is the best of the musicals, certainly from that period. West Side Story is considered cooler but it's a bit like saying E(ast) 17 were cooler than Take That.
Cobham is the best drummer I ever heard live, with Mahavishnu in 73. I've seen him twice since but there was no comparison. John, at the same gig, was the best guitarist I ever saw (by a mile). I've seen him 3 times since and no comparison.

Lance said...

Musicals? Pal Joey and Guys and Dolls. Drummers? Well, after Buddy, Art Blakey and Joe Morello were the guys although let's not forget Ronnie Stephenson from South Shields.
East 17 and Take That are just names to me.

Bruce Bax (on F/b) said...

Spoiler in that review! For those that want to see it without knowing too much.

Lance said...

No more than in the advance publicity and paper media reviews.

Bruce Bax (on F/b) said...

Some of us avoid all of that stuff. Just pointing it out for those wanting to see the film knowing as little as possible about how the plot unwinds.

Steve T said...

You've just broken thousands of female thirty something hearts. Take That were the (allegedly) squeaky clean pretty boys while E17 were (allegedly)the edgier, uglier underbelly(they changed their name after boasting they took ecstasy). The point was neither were/are cool.

Don't think I've heard of Pal Joey so it's going in the basket.

Liz said...

never heard of Pal Joey? on my,you have a treat in store Steve!

Lance said...

PS: I forgot to Add Kiss Me Kate, An American in Paris and.. perm any from a 100 plus!

Steve T said...

My mistake, I did know Pal Joey. I think of SinAtra films as something else; like they're . SinAtra films before they're musicals.

Liz said...

good point Steve, I guess in that context, it is not a true musical!

Anonymous said...

From Ann Alex, To get back to La La Land, I enjoyed it today but don't know if it deserves Oscars. I also liked Whiplash, and don't think you can fairly compare the 2 films. Whiplash had far more jazz, and was a story about musical sadism; La La land is a musical love story with a fascinating ending which I don't believe has been given away by anything in any of these comments.

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