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

17586 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 860 of them this year alone and, so far, 5 this month (Dec. 2).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 10: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church Hall, Cleadon. 7:30pm. £6.00. The CHBB’s annual Xmas concert featuring Ruth Lambert. A BYOB gig!

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Cath Stephens’ improvisation workshop @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 4:30-6:00pm. Collaborative group focusing on vocal improvisations.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Second Wednesday in the month.
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon. £27.00. (inc. three -course meal).
Thu 12: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-6:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 12: Stuart Turner @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Jeremy McMurray (keys); Mark Toomey (alto sax); Donna Hewitt (tenor sax); Kevin Eland (trumpet); Ron Smith (bass).

Fri 13: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Bellavana @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Customs House Big Band @ Stocksfield Community Association. 7:00pm. Featuring Ruth Lambert.
Fri 13: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 13: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £19.00. + bf. First night of two.
Fri 13: Ransom Van @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 13: Boys of Brass @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 9:00pm. £10.00.

Sat 14: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:15pm. Free but ticketed.
Sat 14: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm.
Sat 14: Red Kites Jazz @ Staiths Café, Autumn Dr., Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14 Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £19.00. + bf. Second night of two.
Sat 14: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 15: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 12 noon. £8.50. Xmas party feat. Musicians Unlimited + Customs House Big Band. SOLD OUT!
Sun 15: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 2:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Mitch Laddie Band @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb blues power trio.
Sun 15: Leeway @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Sun 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 12 noon. £9.95. ‘Festive Turkey Dinner’. Book now: 0191 266 8137.
Mon 16: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

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

Sunday, October 01, 2017

Horace Silverman and the White Gardenias – Corner House, Heaton, September 30

Mike Ridley (guitar, mandolin, violin, clarinet, vocals); Josie McDonough (vocals, percussion); Karl Barlow (bass guitar, vocals); Lucy Falkenau (banjo, harmonica, recorders, vocals); George Snaith (drums, Percussion); Ann Ridley (ukelele, accordion, percussion, vocals).
(Review by Hugh C).
Shock news:  Horace Silverman (bandleader) does not exist!  Mike Ridley came up with the name in a moment of inspiration – any resemblance to Horace Silver is purely coincidental.  The White Gardenias are a reference to Billie's trademark accessory, the ladies wearing suitable hair decoration.  The six-piece band are dedicated to preserving the music of the 20s and 30s.  The band members come from diverse musical backgrounds and this influences their choice and style of repertoire.
A relatively small, but enthusiastic audience assembled in a somewhat chilly function room in Heaton's Corner House.  A small bar was situated at the back of the room with the usual range of keg beers on display.  Your correspondent sought out the more sophisticated draught, Wolf, from the acclaimed Allendale Brewery, which was available in the main bar.
Comfortably seated, coat on, pen, pint and notebook ready, the stage was set: the band assembled from various corners of the room, where they had been greeting audience members.  It Don't Mean a Thing started the evening with a swing, lead vocals by Josie McDonough with melodic interludes from Mike Ridley's Telecaster.  This pattern broadly followed throughout the evening, with no jazz-style “solos” as such.  Taking a Chance on Love followed, then a bass-led introduction to I Got Rhythm, lead vocals by Karl Barlow. 
Lead vocals now passed to Mike for Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby.  Mike extolled the benefits of streaming services such as Spotify for both discovering unfamiliar music and re-discovering the delights of listening to an entire album, rather than single tracks in the digital download era.  In his exploration he had come across a piece of anonymous Italian baroque music – very effectively presented by the band as Italian Rant and featuring recorder, tambourine, mandolin, ukelele and violin with the rhythm section in support.  
At this stage an audience member asked for the bass amplification to be turned down, as it was masking the rest of the band. This request was a first for the band, but no offence was meant, or taken by, bassist Karl.  Donning suitable headgear (additional to the gardenia) Ann gave a rousing rendition of I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again, complete with that Country twang. 
The bandleader announced some Paganini. He corrected himself - he was looking at page nine!  We were however treated to a short a cappella (+ recorder) rendition of a canzonetta by Monteverdi; this segued into My Funny Valentine, with beautiful vocal rendition from Josie McDonough, (demonstrating skills acquired in former years as the Decca-signed singer Truly Smith) and subtle brushwork from George Snaith. 
Cooking Breakfast For The One I Love (Lucy – vocals) was followed by Hoagy Carmichael's One Night in Havana, apparently composed when he had some well-known jazz mates round to his pad.  Band members have an interest in film music with several examples during the evening, including Man of Constant Sorrow, vocals by Karl, with unsolicited accompaniment by an audience member's whistling hearing aid! 
Two renditions of local folksongs: Bonny at Morn and, Keel Row, were separated by GASbook favourite, Paper Moon.  The band nervously donned Tommy Cooper-style fez’s for Istanbul, but relaxed when there were no allegations of cultural appropriation.  More atmospheric guitar work from Mike and classy vocals from Josie finished off the first set with Shenandoah.

After an interval, during which the room had warmed up a bit, the second set commenced with a Bluegrass feel in Jerusalem Ridge.  Audience participation in Fever helped to make it finger clickin' good!  Jazz standard, Caravan and Love is the Sweetest Thing preceded the hardest (to play) number on the set list and the nearest to jazz (according to bandleader Horace, sorry, Mike) – George Shearing's Lullaby of Birdland.  More audience participation ensued in (brrrp, brrrp, brrrp) Busy Line.  When “we do it because we can” guitarists are in guitar shops they apparently like to test out a possible purchase (or not) with Paul Simon's Scarborough Fair, featuring (in this case) Lucy Falkenau on recorder.  A newly acquired, full wooden alto recorder was capably demonstrated on the Rolling Stones' Ruby Tuesday – first heard by Master Ridley at the age of 15 on the B side of Let's Spend the Night Together, a 45 rpm record broken (literally) in disgust by Mike's headteacher father!  You are My Sunshine and Ray Charles' Hallelujah I Love Her So were followed by I'm Coming Home Baby and The Beatles' The Word. 
Some fine clarinet by Mike Ridley on Sway brought us to the penultimate number for the evening,  Anyone Who Had a Heart.  The Klezmer tune Dem Trisker Rebns Khosid then transformed seamlessly into the final Those Were the Days.  Enthusiastic applause and calls for “more!” were rewarded with Summertime and Walkin' My Baby Back Home.
So what is this review doing on a jazz blog?  The gig was listed on BSH and there was certainly enough jazz content to keep the Jazz Police at bay.  The items chosen all admirably demonstrated the versatility and expertise of this diverse group of musicians.  All in all we were treated to more than two hours of music, enjoyed by the musicians themselves as much as the audience.  At the very reasonable price of £7.50 this amounts to 23 and one half pence for each musical item – cheaper than a download and a bargain, given the live environment!
Hugh C

1 comment :

Ray said...

we've seen Mike & the band numerous times now ....difficult to "pidgeonhole" their music, but always thoroughly entertaining & well worth a few quid for a great night out. Don't hesitate to go if you see them listed ...

Blog Archive