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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
The 10: Classic Swing @ Carlisle Rugby Club, Warwick Rd., Carlisle. 8:30pm. £9.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock). CANCELLED!
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 11: Mo Scott Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv.). Country blues guitar & vocals.
Sat 12: Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.28, £11.16, £9.04. A two-track recording launch gig.
Sat 12: Stuart Turner @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues etc. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 12: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 8:00pm. Free. New trio: Paula Whitty, Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy.

Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Emma Wilson @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 13: Catfish Keith @ The Cluny. 7:00pm. Country blues.
Sun 13: Cath Stephens & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Stephens & Grainger, one third of a triple bill.
Sun 13: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by Nina Simone, performed by Nicholle Cherrie.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass), Bailey Rudd (drums).

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, November 19, 2017

Dee Dee Bridgewater – Cadogan Hall, EFG London Jazz Festival 2017 - November 16

(Review courtesy of Leah Williams, photo credit Giedrė Čėsnaitė)
The one and only Dee Dee Bridgewater doesn’t need any introduction but we were given one anyway, in which she was described as a “music chameleon”. Never was this description so aptly used as, every time I’ve seen her live, it has been something completely different and last night was no exception. Around this time last year, she was at Ronnie’s singing songs in dedication to Billie Holiday and the mood was powerfully melancholic with Dee Dee’s voice out in full jazz standard force. Last night, she was on stage celebrating the release of her new album Memphis….Yes, I’m Ready, looking back at the blues and soul music of her birth town Memphis, Tennessee.

Quite a departure from the classic jazz that won her the 2017 NEA Jazz Master title. The truth is though, Dee Dee is one of those rare, gifted vocalists who could, as the saying goes, sing the phone book and people would be queuing up to hear. Whether gently crooning or belting out some soul, every note is faultless and full of inspiring energy and love of music. 

Last night was a dazzling performance, in more ways than one. Coming out on stage sparkling in every which way possible, the show was high-octane energy from start to finish. She was joined on stage by the fantastic musicians of Memphis Soulphony and two backing singers. She preceded the performance by recognising that this new music was a bit of a risk for her, and one that she hoped would pay off. There was no trepidation or holding back though. She didn’t tone things down or create some kind of jazz hybrid versions of the songs to try and appease the more judgemental listener. This album is one in which she’s allowed herself to unleash her soul diva completely, immersing herself in the groundbreaking music of the 60s.

Still, in her own words, this music was being “revisited and revamped” and of course the Dee Dee stamp was fully recognisable. This project is obviously a labour of love and one that is intensely personal for her. It was mostly music she had heard on the legendary radio station WDIA (the first station to exclusively programme black music) and on which her own father, Matthew Garrett, was a featured DJ for a time. We were treated to timeless numbers such as Gladys Knight’s Giving Up, Ann Peebles’ I Can’t Stand the Rain, and — as a fantastic encore finale — Otis Redding’s Try a Little Tenderness. In between there were reinventions of perhaps lesser known songs from The Soul Children and The Staples Singers

On this journey with Dee Dee, we were let into details of her life as a child and teenager and this side of her musical roots and heritage. It was very exposing and endearing and one that you couldn’t help but appreciate and connect with. As usual, she gave her all to the audience and to each piece, with some incredible vocals and interaction with the band members. There were some joyous moments of unanimous scatting with the guitar and musical dialogues with the sax that in particular both impressed and appeased our jazz expectations slightly. 

Perhaps the highlight of the night, though, was when, after talking about the tendency (her own included) to throw underwear at the stage at Al Green concerts, some enterprising guy (“Craig from Canada” we later found out) took his own boxers down and threw them at Dee Dee’s feet. Upon discovering them, what did she do? Why, put them on of course! And then proceeded to do the entire concert wearing them over her outfit. There are not many singers out there who would do this and it is her ability to truly have fun and not take herself too seriously that puts Dee Dee up there at the top of the entertainer ranks. And, well, why shouldn’t she? She hasn’t got anything to prove. Her talent goes far beyond any clothing choices, after all.

It would be amiss not to mention the opening set, which was performed by the Camilla George Quartet. Camilla, alto saxophonist and composer, is a rising star on the London jazz scene and it’s easy to hear why, listening to her play live. This short but oh-so-sweet set was the perfect opener, creating a real buzz in the hall. Pieces were cleverly chosen, two newer tracks and one from recently released album Isang, to show the young saxophonist’s range and capabilities and give much deserved room to her incredible band. Special mention has to go out to Sarah Tandy on piano, whose playing was quite mesmerising and got a deserved big reaction from the audience. 
Leah
Band line-up:




Keys Dell Smith
Guitar Charlton Johnson
Bass Barry Campbell
Drums Carlos Sargent
Trumpet Curtis Pulliam
Tenor Sax Bryant Lockhart

Singers:
Christina Matoboo
Monet Owens

Camilla George Quartet:
Alto sax Camilla George
Drums Winston Clifford
Piano Sarah Tandy
Bass Dan Casimir

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