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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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Friday, May 11, 2018

CD Review: John Proulx - Say It

John Proulx (piano, vocals, arrangements); Larry Koonse (guitar); Chuck Berghofer (bass); Joe LaBarbera (drums); Bob Sheppard (ten/sop sax); Billy Hulting (perc): Melissa Manchester (guest vocals); Alan Broadbent (string arrangements); Gina Kronstadt (1st violin, leader); Susan Chatman (2nd violin); Rodney Wurtz (viola); Stefanie Fife (cello)
(Review by Ann Alex)
This is a real swinger, a happy, entertaining disc of skilled modern jazz, consisting of lesser-known jazz standards and jazz versions of pop songs, sung in a warm light-toned tenor. Proulx, who hails from Michigan and is a Grammy-winning composer, trained as a pianist and played for 15 years on the West Coast USA. He comes from a musical family and it wasn’t long before he started singing. This is his fourth CD, which he has produced independently. The tracks are:-

1/ Gentle Rain Straight in with the swing, voice doing 4’s with the drums, scat with the guitar, the piano moves the song along well and portrays drops of rain to end the song.

2/ Scatsville An amusing song about scatting ‘It’s the language of madness’ with scatting of course, and noodling from the sax.

3/ The Summer Knows Clever lyrics about the Summer as a woman, slower, with just strings and piano.

4/Watch What Happens Percussion to the fore for this Latin number, clapping and a bass solo.

5/ Say It  With skilled bass accompaniment

 6/ I Don’t Worry About A Thing – Another amusing set of lyrics, ‘I don’t worry about a thing
 ‘cos I know nothing’s gonna be alright’.

7/ The Last Goodbye A sad song of lost love or maybe friendship, with the strings.

8/ Stained Glass A love song with the guest vocalist, a duet of call and response.

9/ Something To Live For, with a superb piano solo.

10/ Both Sides Now a well-sung jazz version of the Joni Mitchell hit.

After enjoying this CD, it occurred to me that we have skilled jazz pianists playing locally, but none of them sing, and I’d like to bet that they can. I’d love to hear songs from Messrs Edis* or Law. How about it, if you happen to be reading this?

The CD was available from March 14, 2018, at ArtistShare.com and in stores. See www.johnproulx.com
Ann Alex.
* Link.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Ann, Paul Edis was reported as singing at St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook, on April 27!
See link I've added to your review.

Anonymous said...

From Ann Alex, Well all I can say is that he should do more singing, and let's hear Alan as well.

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