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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

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 + Abbie Finn @ 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: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
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: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
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: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Hoochie Coochie - December 29.

I'd missed the last few SSBB gigs dotted around the area so it was with much more than eager anticipation that I looked forward to this one and I wasn't disappointed.
For once, I didn't have an advance setlist which, in retrospect, wasn't such a bad thing. A setlist takes away the 'sound of surprise' and can result in the ensuing review reading more like a shopping list. So instead, I've just reflected randomly.
I don't think I've heard Alice in better voice. The gowns she'd had painted on didn't restrict her diaphragmatic breathing although it did mine. Her version of You Make me Feel so Young was the best vocal/big band number I'd heard since Sarah Vaughan appeared at Newcastle City Hall with Count Basie's band. I never thought I'd hear Sinatra's It Was a Very Good Year sung uptempo by a woman. I did last night and it worked a treat. These were just a couple from Ms. Grace's knock 'em dead repertoire. Time After Time, Jeepers Creepers, Get Happy and a quirky 1920s take on Don't Think Twice were just some of the other showstoppers.
Not that Alice was the only singer on parade. F'reez had kickstarted the concert with Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby. I love this song, not just for the enigmatic title (surely it should have a question mark?) but the way it flows and few do it better than F'reez. The half-time section at the end never fails to give it a lift. Whatever Lola Wants from The Pyjama Game was another surprise item from our man and of course, there was the inevitable Christmassy duet with Alice to finish off with - that magnificent song of seduction - Baby It's Cold Outside.
Instrumentally the band, as always, weren't firing blanks. They were shooting from the hip to the 'hip' (apart from the guy in the gents who said to me, "Dee the not play nee Glenn Milla?")
Paul Gowland was well featured on tenor and occasionally soprano bringing home the [smoked] bacon on Groovin' Hard. The sax section chorus on this particular number was a masterclass on precision playing. The other saxes popped up from time to time with Steve Summers playing more clarinet than he usually does.
I'd seen and heard the Woody Herman Band many times over the years and, invariably, they played Apple Honey. On each occasion, they played it marginally faster than before but never as fast as what Strictly Smokin' did last night. The dancers stayed seated for this one!
Was it my imagination or the injections of London Pride that made me think the trombones were more prominent solo-wise than normally? Whatever, Messrs Barnes and Parnaby were open for business. with Kurji-Smith and Flood keeping the shelves stacked.
Leader Lamb conducted, blew trumpet and the powerhouse rhythm section never faltered.
This isn't just a band - it is THE BAND!
Lance.
Michael Lamb (md), Tom Hill, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); David Barnes, Kieran Parnaby, John Flood, Chris Kurji-Smith (trombones); Dave Kerridge, Paul Gowland, Steve Summers, Keith Robinson, Laurie Rangecroft (reeds); Graham Don (piano); Pawel Jedrzejewski  (guitar); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace, F'reez (vocals).

2 comments :

Russell said...

What a band! Alice isn't a star, she's a superstar!

Unknown said...

Yup.. 😁

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