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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Sunday, May 07, 2017

Snarky Puppy/House of Waters @ Sage Gateshead, May 3

Chris Bullock, Bob Reynolds  (tenor); Mike “Maz” Maher (trumpet/flugel); Justin Stanton (trumpet/ keyboards); Bill Laurance (keyboards); Chris McQueen (guitar); Michael League (bass); Larnell Lewis (drums); Marcelo Woloski (percussion).
(Review by Hugh C/collage by Lance & Steve T).
The Brooklyn-based collective returned to Gateshead three years after their knockout performance in Sage 2.  The last time they were here, bassist Michael League told us, they had looked admiringly into Sage 1, little knowing that they would be back with a near capacity crowd on levels 1 and 2.
Snarky Puppy's considerable retinue of equipment was already on the stage at the start of the concert.  House of Waters' gear flowed away during the interval.  The stage was set, the house was full and this time the band entered to enthusiastic applause and vocal encouragement.  They proceeded to play a more or less continuous ninety minutes of high octane music, the majority from their latest album, Culcha Vulcha.
I attended this event on the recommendation of a friend, and was not disappointed.  Their product is best described (I think) as jazz-funk-rock.  Synthesisers feature quite a lot imparting an almost prog rock-like atmosphere at times.  Sage One had opened part of the floor at the front as a mosh pit for those who preferred to stand.  Individual solos were delivered all round, including a splendid sparring match between percussion and drums near the end.
The band were admirably supported by newly signed GroundUP artists, House of Waters.  Michael League (entering the house to unexpected silence) introduced the newcomers and their novel format of hammer dulcimer (Max ZT), six string electric bass (Moto Fukushima) and drums (Luke Notary).  The trio played the first 30 minute set before the interval.  They featured both previous material and tracks from their latest, eponymous, album. 
I was not expecting to write a review, and therefore took no notes.  Luckily, Snarky Puppy have brought their recording engineer with them and are releasing downloads of each of their UK dates on the following day.  Glasgow's was not of sufficient quality to release, but Gateshead and Manchester are both available in MP3 or FLAC format.  This epitomises the progressive attitude of Snarky Puppy and their label, GroundUP.  Their promotion and support of up and coming bands is exemplary.  In the fevered post-Brexit referendum, pre-election political atmosphere I am glad to say that no conventional politics entered the hall.  However, just before the encore there was some political oratory from Michael League – the audience were reminded that musicians receive very little from streaming sites (the main beneficiaries being the owners of the sites themselves and the large record companies releasing their back catalogues) if we want music to survive and thrive then buy the product (physical or digital) from the musicians themselves and tickets for live performances, right?
Sage Gateshead performance available here.
Set list:
1.      Binky
2.      Semente
3.      Whitecap
4.      Beep Box
5.      Tarova
6.      Palermo
7.      Young Stuff
8.      Big Ugly
——
9.      Shofukan
From Michael League:
 Our first time in Gateshead/Newcastle in 3 years, finally playing the big room at the famous Sage. Standing audience down front, seating behind and on the sides. Michael eases Binky in. Bullock and Maz play on it. The band really takes its time on the gradually waning outro section. Things get weird. Semente gets a solo from Bill on Rhodes. Bob Reynolds plays on Whitecap. Beep Box is extra spacious on the outro with Justin and McQueen laying out for a bit under Maz’s solo. Tarova is slow and funky. Bill takes a Moog solo. Palermo is a highlight. Bullock takes the solo and Marcelo plays around the crowd’s clapping on the outro. Bob takes the first solo in Young Stuff and Justin takes a rare Moog solo on the vamp. Big Ugly gets two solos from McQueen after Maz takes the vamp. Justin plays on Shofukan, then Larnell and Marcelo duel it out to close out the evening. A beautiful sounding room with a lively crowd.
Hugh C

1 comment :

Steve T said...

Thanks for that Hugh, I was planning to do it but got bogged down in Cheltenham.
I too was recommended it but was surprised by how rockstar it was. I recall the last time I saw the Unthanks and figured the dry ice and lightshow would mark the end for the folkies and this could be the same for the Jazzers, though lots of Jamboneers and Early Birds there. Personally, coming from a rock background, at least from 71 to early 74 I like a good light show.
While I enjoyed it, I didn't love it; it was very Jazz, funk, rock without being either Jazz funk or Jazz rock and certainly not smooth. It's probably more prog rock than anything else and the percussion duel reminded me (and a couple more old Genesis nuts) of the old Phil Collins and Bill Bruford or Collins and Chester Thompson partnerships.
I took a few photos really to illustrate the lightshow but each time it seemed to explode in light. However I'll send them to Lance and he can decided if he wants to do anything with them.

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