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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Friday, February 16, 2018

CD Review: Better Than TV - Song From No Man's Land

Alastair Appleton (sop sax); Gabriel  Bliard (trumpet); Louis Day (trumpet on 3 tracks); Simon Fothergill (trombone); Luke Congdon (piano); Ben Comeau (piano on 4 tracks); Daniel Duffy (guitar); Sergio Contrino (bass); Joe Davighi (drums); Cassie Gorman (voice); Rowan Haslam (cello. voice on 2 tracks).
(Review by Lance).
The second album by this Cambridge based band is somewhat different from the first. Late, reviewed here in 2015, was a tight contemporary sounding quintet whereas this current version is a larger, looser ensemble with bassist Contrino who composed the material the only common denominator.
Before I Go is a bit of a free for all with both vocalists pitching in and a lyrical trumpet solo from Bliard. One could almost call it Avant-garde Dixieland!
Gerico develops over an insistent drumbeat with Congdon's piano opening the batting followed byAppleton's soprano and some tightly muted Milesian trumpet, again from Bliard. Fothergill blows some lusty trombone riding the storm beneath him.
Standing With Sally - the vocal version - has Gorman dramatically seeking Sally. Davighi thumps the tubs effectively, the band riffs and Gorman takes it out.
Da Lontano: Ragtimey piano intro by Comeau,  swingy trumpet solo by Day who, respectively, make this a jaunty romp. Appleton's soprano and Fothergill's 'bone bounce phrases off each other before the latter goes it alone. More piano and Contrino's bass ever present.
Latin Song, ponderous voice by Gorman using the words of Ovid. This is Vatican Latin, not Brazillian.
Norway, delicate Comeau piano, searching soprano, muted trumpet then, suddenly, it becomes alive. Drums driving, soprano steering. There's an almost classical theme running through - P.Gynt perhaps?
For Louis - Louis being Louis Day who's well featured on the track. There's also a Hava Nagila quote from pianist Comeau in his intro.
Hey Joe features Haslam's expressive vocal chords. Fothergill's trombone, Appleton's soprano and Congdon's piano before drum 'n bass take over until Haslam sees it out.
Samba per mi is perhaps Gorman's best vocal.
Bus Stop Blu features a male voice (Contrino? the sleeve doesn't say)
L'attesta e' lunga; cello, soprano, piano are all in there pitching and,, in the end, the cello emerges triumphant. It's a strange ending with several bars of silence followed by girlish laughter then some unrelated piano!
A difficult disc to classify. I imagine that if you'd been to a Better Than TV gig you'd be on a high and want the album as a memento to relive the evening. However, listening to the album without the live experience I found it hard going at times. Having said that, there were still plenty moments that I loved and Better Than TV is definitely better than tv.

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