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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sunday, July 09, 2017

CD Review: Tara Minton - The Tides Of Love

(Review by Ann Alex)
This is a collection of 10 original songs by Australian Ms Minton, featuring jazz played on the harp (as in Wales, not as in harmonica) and I was amazed by what a great jazz instrument this harp turned out to be. A whole new perspective on instrumentation! Ms Minton says [the CD] ‘is a musical memoir of my London journey, both as a musician and as a person.’ The songs celebrate the city of London, tell of the low and high points of various relationships, and the final song rejoices in love fulfilled with the husband she met at a gig in London. Not all the songs are jazz-like as there are elements of folk and soul too, with lots of space for improvisation. A very enjoyable CD, with good lyrics and plenty of hooks for the listener to latch on to.
The Tides Of Love has the harp flowing like water, an anthem-like song, sweet-voiced, with the strings adding to the atmosphere. Play With Me is indeed playful, a Latin beat, appropriate percussion, a romantic request for fun. It’s the first time I’ve heard Latin jazz on the harp.
Then comes the most  jazzy track, could be a jazz standard, Smitten, a swinger with horns and lyrics:
‘I feel giddy and weak, Like I’ve been bitten, I’m smitten, smitten baby with you.’

February Forever changes the mood to the sadness of lost love, Hammond organ and a skilled violin solo, and what I’d call an impassioned ‘X Factor’ (as on television)  type climax, which however manages to sound better than most of those on that television programme. Clementines in the Morning Sun is a tribute to the sights of London, river cruises and speedy bike rides, with a flowing harp to portray the river. O Brother Mine is a bit of a puzzle, a quite bitter song about someone who is disliked, but interesting music. I loved the blues of You’ll Never Kill a Good Woman, a spirited song of survival, a bluesy harp and a hard sounding violin. Rock ‘n’ Roll Romance is just that, a rock song about a romance that was temporary but fun, all swashbuckling drums and full pelt ensemble playing. The last 2 tracks are both about love fulfilled, ‘you are my Tower of London’ says our singer; a lyrical harp on the final track and even laughter from Ms Minton. A happy CD, definitely.  

The CD is released on Friday,  July 14 on Discovery Records.  There is an official release do at the 606 Club, London on July 13. See www.taraminton.com
Ann Alex
Tara Minton (harp, vocals); Ed Babar (bass); Tom Early (drums); and on various tracks: Duncan Menzies (violin); Phil Merriman (Hammond organ); Filippo Dall’Asta (Guitar); Lilia Loncheva (perc); Tim Boniface (horns, keys) + string quartet: Barbara Zdziarska, Alex Isted (violins); Lisa Bucknell (viola); Davina Shum (cello).

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