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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

Wednesday, May 09, 2018

Rob Luft @ Cheltenham Jazz Festival. The Daffodil, May 4.

Rob Luft (guitar), Joe Wright (sax), Joe Webb (keyboards), Tom McCredie (bass), Mark Michelle (drums).
(Review by Steve T)
This was one of those posh bashes like what Zoe Gilby and Andy Champion played last year or the year before.
Pink sparkling wine on arrival, a tomato cut up with a few salady bits chucked on for starter, sea bass or - if you play the I don't like fish card - chicken in a delectable sauce that Mrs T let me taste, and a very lemony dessert. At £65 a head, do the maths.
A table shared with three other couples could have been tricky but proved to be the best table in the place, so all credit to them including, would you believe, a Chester le Street lad and fellow Old Johnstonian.
As one of the emerging stars of British Jazz, there's lots of pressure on Rob Luft, and comparisons with John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Paco De Lucia can only ratchet up the expectation, but confident in his significant ability, he doesn't seem phased at all.
A set I believe taken entirely from his highly recommended debut solo album Riser opened with Beware, allowing saxophonist Joe Wright to take the lead for the first half of the piece before Luft came in with the first of many blistering displays.
There's lots of African influences in his compositions which he's clearly and justifiably proud of, but he must also know his progressive rock and his Jazz-rock, with lots of short, sharp blasts of breath-taking virtuosity worthy of McLaughlin with Miles or Mahavishnu.
It's a measure of how fantastic the line-up at Cheltenham was this year that this gig was opposite Dinosaur at another venue, and with ace drummer Corrie Dick a member of both, it fell to Mark Michelle to dep, and you'd never spot the join.
But the standard of musicianship was top notch all-round, with several on my table singling out Joe Webb on keys, but Rob Luft, along with Dinosaurs Laura Jurd, is one of the young British Jazz musicians to watch.
Incidentally, the jam session at Hotel du Vin later the same night featured Francis Tulip - another up and coming Jazz guitarist - in the house band. 
Steve T.

1 comment :

Steve T said...

The bass player on the photo of the jam session is one James Owston of Birmingham Conservatoire, who got to play Christian McBride's bass as he was introduced at the Town Hall on sunday.

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