Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Steve Fishwick: “I can’t get behind the attitude that new is always somehow better than old” - Jazz Journal, April 15, 2019,

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...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders.
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Monday, April 03, 2017

GIJF Day 3: Sulzmann/Iles Duo & Trish Clowes 'My Iris' Quartet - Sage Gateshead - April 2

Stan Sulzmann (tenor); Nikki Iles (piano).
(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Russell).
Some, but not all, of the material was from the duo's 2014 album Stardust and, like the album, made for a pleasurable listening experience albeit not an earth-moving one.
The musicianship was faultless. How could it not be with two such seasoned professionals?
Polished and polite - what else could you expect from a duo playing indoors on a sunny Sunday afternoon? Binker and Moses they weren't and I'm sure they'd probably never want to be either but I did miss bass and drums. Perhaps if the tenor had been miked up a bit more or it had been a late evening session in more intimate surrounds, who knows?
Nevertheless, and whilst it didn't totally float my boat, it didn't sink it either!
During the interval, holding a referendum with other members of the Jazz Constabulary, it came across as a 50/50 hung jury. Such is the appeal of jazz and music in general - it's in the ear of the beholder. 

Trish Clowes (tenor/soprano); Ross Stanley (Hammond/piano); Chris Montague (guitar); John Blease (drums).
The set that followed by the Trish Clowes 'My Iris' Quartet was very much an up-front in your face contrast to what had preceded. After a seemingly interminable, long sustained notes introduction on soprano, Clowes finally hit the deck and she was going for gold - the soprano was on fire and any snakes she may have charmed were burned alive. Switching to tenor, Professor Clowes - yes the gal is a Professor of Jazz and Improvisation at the Guildhall, like our policemen, our professors are getting younger - blew the cobwebs away. I wonder, was Binker ever one of her students? Electronic effects were used sparingly and didn't detract too much from the music.
On guitar, Gateshead lad Chris Montague returned to his hometown and showed them how it's done whilst, dep drummer John Blease sailed miraculously through the charts.
Ross Stanley is no stranger to the northeast and it's a rare travelling band that doesn't include Ross in the lineup. Tonight he switched from Hammond to Steinway and back again. Trish introduced one of the more balladic numbers as a chance to hear Ross on the Steinway and, to quote, he did treat it in a fine way!
All of the compositions, I think, were from Ms. Clowes current album - My Iris, reviewed by Russell back in January.
Lance.

2 comments :

Unknown said...

I must take issue with your review. It's Stan Sulzman not Steve and the concert was on Sunday afternoon not Saturday. Polite yes but what a rare pleasure to hear unamplified tenor sax. With amplification you lose much of the breathiness and richness of the sound. Let's have more acoustic instrumental performances.

Lance said...

Hi Robert, yes Stan it is as I've been reminded on an hourly basis! As a fan of Stan's for many years I can only claim a 'senior moment' for this error. Likewise the Saturday in the text as opposed to the correct date in the heading. But, thanks Robert for correcting me. I need readers like yourself to keep me up to speed. As regards the actual gig, I stand by my measured enthusiasm. Changing the subject, a lot of emerging talent at the Caff tonight!

Blog Archive