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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
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.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two.
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

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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