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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.

Friday, November 03, 2017

CD Review: Bob Mundy - Love to Me

Bob Mundy (vocal); Dan Kaufman (piano); Peter Slavov (bass); Mark Ferber (drums); Lage Lund (drums); Sean Harkness (guitar); Dominick Farinacci (trumpet); Joel Frahm (tenor);; Sam Sadigursky (tenor/soprano); Keita Ogawa (percussion); Yves Dharamraj (cello).
(Review by Lance).
I've oft-times commented about the number of girl-singers rolling off the conveyer belt to the point where that piece of machinery must be due for a service and safety check. However, the male side of the factory is under less pressure which, perhaps, is why Bob Mundy comes across so relaxed.
Native New Yorker Mundy, born in Queens and raised on Long Island, began as a pianist and it was when he was playing piano for a variety show he was asked to get up and sing.
That was how it all began.
A pleasing, jazzlike, voice albeit closer to Bennett than Sinatra, Mundy's second album features material that is choice and far from overworked. It's always a delight when you discover a new - to me that is - song from a familiar composer. Loads of Love from 1962 show No Strings (the only show where Rodgers wrote both words and music - Rodgers also picked up a Tony award in the process) is an absolutely lovely tune and Mundy does it justice. There's also some fine blowing from Farinacci on this and throughout.
Joel Frahm blows some burnt toast tenor on Chris Caswell's Getting Beyond Goodbye. Mundy breaks his heart over an amazing range.Two versions of The Good Life - 5.42 and 3.18 - Well sung but too dramatic for me.
But Beautiful: More Farinacci trumpet, muted and the perfect complement to the vocal.
Carpe Diem: Steve Cagan's a new name to me although he's now in his mid-seventies. Sondheim and Bernstein, he says were/are his inspiration. It shows. He's a musical theatre man and Mundy does nothing to change things. Little jazz here but a sound performance anyway.
All You Need to Say is by Nat Adderley with lyric by Chris Caswell which is all you need to say and the jazz returns. Farinacci once again does the business and Kaufman too does a little cookin'.
Chris Caswell provides words and music for No Time For Love and Mundy handles it well aided by Kaufman and Lund. A little scatting.
I've Never Liked You - You smoke and you snore, you've got no money and your friends are a bore etc leading to the punchline, I've never liked you, but I miss you like hell! The album's worth it for this track alone even if its jazz content is minimal - it transgresses genre.
Until (Sting); Love to Me; The Last Night of the Year finish things off.
An ok album.
Buy/sample.
Lance

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