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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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - this week only.
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

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 @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

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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