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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15848 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 855 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Sept. 18).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: La Malbec Orchestra @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 21: Linsday Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Ray Stubbs R & B All Stars @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:30pm. Free.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: Brief Encounter @ Bardon Mill Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:00pm. Tickets: £10.00. adv from 07885 303166; £12.00. on the door. Chris & Veronica Perrin improvising to a screening of the 1929 'Jazz Age' silent film Piccadilly (Dir. Ewald André Dupont).
Fri 22: Paul Edis & Graeme Wilson + Three Tsuru Origami @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 22: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 22: Abbie Finn's Finntet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tanfield Railway, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. A '1940s Weekend' event.
Sat 23: Jason Isaacs @ Stack, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 23: Andrew Porritt & Keith Barrett @ Cullercoats Watch House, Front St., Cullercoats NE30 4QB. 7:00pm.
Sat 23: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Country blues.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Monday, May 07, 2018

CD Review: The Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra - “Without A Trace”

(Review by Dave Brownlow).
This is a good example of a large, contemporary jazz orchestra where the leader, Scott Reeves, combines all the necessary elements of the successful jazz tradition ie good material, swing, creativity, talented soloists, and excitement. Reeves has been influenced by some of the great composer/arrangers such as Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Thad Jones, and Bob Brookmeyer and has spent years honing his craft within the current scene writing for groups such as Dave Liebman’s Big Band, and the Westchester Jazz Orchestra before setting out on his own in 2008.

The opener is Kurt Weill’s classic Speak Low which starts with a nod towards Bill Evans on his ‘New Jazz Conceptions’ album and settles into a lively Afro-Cuban rhythm including lively solos from Wilson on alto and Rogers on trumpet with some closely harmonised backgrounds. Reeves own Without A Trace follows featuring singer Carolyn Leonhart. The style of this piece with its melody containing wide intervals between some of the notes is so reminiscent of the work of our own Norma Winstone in its genre. The vocal is clear, confident and graceful – I give no praise higher than that!
The standard All Or Nothing At All has drummer Vernel Fournier’s immortal groove from Ahmad Jamal’s hit Poinciana as a main rhythmic element and features the leader on slide trombone with Chiavuzzo on alto this time.
Sections here are thoughtfully orchestrated and ‘quotes’ abound.
The Reeves’ original Incandescence is languidly Impressionist in style with a beautifully apt vibes solo and a restrained contribution from Wilson on soprano extending the mood. Wayne Shorter’s JuJu has a more ‘contemporary’ feel based as it is on fewer chords. Here, the arranger includes a sax-section segment based on Shorter’s original solo. The whole piece is quite forward-thinking….
A 12-tone row is the inspiration for ShapeShifter which includes several parts throughout its eight and a half minutes. Reeves himself solos on alto flugelhorn on a ¾ section. A fast 4/4 portion with glittering piano contrasting with huge slabs of orchestral textures develops,
after chaos, into a final haunting coda – Star Trek anybody?
Finally, Reeves’ tribute to Thad Jones – Something For Thad based on I Got Rhythm changes brings the album to a cheerful, swinging, boppish, slightly more conventional, closer with Haviland and Gravish having their only solo outings.
Throughout the CD, the standard of musicianship is extremely high, there is a broad range of material carefully arranged with nods towards the history of jazz making this an altogether agreeable listen.
Available now on ORIGIN RECORDS 82752 at www.originarts.com

Dave B.
Scott Reeves: (flugel. trombone, arranger); Steve Wilson (soprano,alto,flute), Vito Chiavuzzo (alto, flute) Rob Middleton (tenor, clarinet), Tim Armacost (tenor), Terry Goss (baritone 1- 4) Jay Brandford (baritone 5 – 7 ).
Seneca Black, Nathan Ecklund, Chris Rogers, (1-4) Bill Mobley (5 – 7), Andy Gravish (trumpets).
Tim Sessions, Matt McDonald, Matt Haviland, Max Siegel (trombones).
Jim Ridl (Piano), Dave Elson (Vibes 4), Todd Coolman (Bass), Andy Watson (Drums).
 Carolyn Leonhart Vocal (2).

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