Total Pageviews

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

Saturday, June 24, 2017

The Gabi Heller Quartet @ The Globe - June 22

Gabi Heller (vocals); Steve Glendinning (guitar); Dave Parker (bass); Mark Robertson (drums)
(Review by Ann Alex)
This band was as great as ever, so the difficulty for the reviewer is trying to say something different about the performance. Here goes: I noticed Gabi’s clever acting ability in interpreting the songs, especially her very expressive left hand (the hand not holding the mike) pleading, spreading, twisting, in order to convey emotion. I noticed the wide range of different tones that Stevie entranced from the guitar, Dave practically dancing with the bass in his enthusiasm, and Mark matching his drumming wonderfully to the different moods of the songs, sticks, brushes, mallets, playing cymbals only, as suggested. Gabi, who is an actor as well as a singer, put her heart and soul into all the songs, and I think maybe all jazz singers should study acting as well. The songs are worth it.

A good start was made with All Or Nothing At All, a skilled long guitar solo, inventive scat from Gabi, with the faintly German accent adding charm to the songs. Gabi told us that you can get an app on your mobile to tell you the stages of the moon, before singing about the Old Devil Moon, and My Foolish Heart, during which she became a scatting instrument in the band, singing a staccato blend with the guitar. Angel Eyes was heartbreakingly sad, a slow ballad with just guitar and voice to start, then the guitar with an echo effect, and a bass solo. Then along came It Don’t Mean A Thing to cheer us, fast scat, busy drums, call and response between voice and guitar. Imagination was milked for all it was worth, very slow with brushed drums, made humorous with a Louis Armstrong  growl on some of the words, but what else can you do with odd lyrics such as ‘starts you asking a daisy what to do, what to do’? Slow Me Down Lord, a gospel song, was included for people agitated by the news, but done loud with lively drums, to give the opposite effect to the words, just for a change, as Gabi explained. The first half ended with You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To.
I liked the very varied selection of songs done and the interesting information supplied by Gabi, such as the Moon app mentioned before, and the way Gabi takes on a different persona occasionally, such as with the song  Don’t Mess Around With Me, (an original) a cabaret type song where she becomes a bossy woman. Other songs done in the second set were a rousing My House (Easter Eggs and Christmas trees were offered to the house guest); You Don’t Know What Love Is; The Queen song Dead On Time (about chasing time, with whoops from our singer and an unusual drum and guitar duet); Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (Gabi pointed out how dark the lyrics are); My Favourite Things (raindrops illustrated on the guitar); Come On Into My Kitchen; and to finish, Lullaby Of Birdland (much playing with the lyrics).  
 Another good night at the Globe.

Ann Alex

No comments :

Blog Archive