Total Pageviews

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

15867 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 874 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (Sept. 25).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Sat 30: John Pope Quintet + Late Girl + Shapeshifters @ Bobik's, Jesmond, Newcastle.
Sat 30: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

OCTOBER

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Paul Wight (drums).

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

CD Review: Gabrielle Ducomble – Across The Bridge

Gabrielle Ducomble (composer, vocals, piano, melodica; Nicolas Meier (guitars); Richard Jones (violin, viola); Nick Kacal (bass); Saleem Raman (drums) with special guests Fausto Beccalossi (accordion); Bill Mudge (keyboard).
(Review by Ann Alex)
I was so charmed by the opening track that I played it twice straight off. A lovely clear-toned voice with an enticing French accent, a well-written song about a young child’s afternoon spent exploring the forest and pretending to be a knight. The bass moves the tune forward in the forest, the tune rises when the moon is mentioned, and the viola provides an effective middle section. And so the music continues on the other tracks, songs with elements of jazz, French chansons, tango and Latin rhythms. The lyrics are skilled, concerning nature, art, justice and ideas. The instrumentation is superb, with cleverly interwoven solos from violin, viola, guitar and accordion, and the ensemble playing is rich and satisfying.

For instance, Where Is Home reflects on the migrant issue, with lines such as ‘What is home? a boat, a war zone, a suitcase dragged across a bridge, for one chance to live’, and the music has an agitated feel from drums and violin.
In contrast, Les Terrasses De Riz De Jatiluwih is a happy song about the simple life lived at an eastern temple - if my schoolgirl French has served to translate the lyrics. 

Like a Bridge Across Your Heart is a passionate tango, with accordion, and Circus gives us gypsy jazz and cabaret style music and some wordless vocals. Les Nympheas was influenced by Monet’s painting ‘Water Lilies’, which brought to mind our singer’s thoughts about nature and beauty. The Time Is Now is about the need to save the planet, featuring a driving feel from the band. Some songs are in English, some in French, and some are a mixture.

This CD is our singer’s third album. The previous CD’s were of Parisian-style jazz and tango, but Ms Ducomble has now branched out with original material on this CD.  She has performed at many top London venues including Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express in Soho. She has starred alongside such performers as Jacqui Dankworth and Tina May. She is at present touring with some of the band but the nearest venue to the North East is Birmingham. The CD is available on MGP Records, mgpcd020.
Ann Alex

No comments :

Blog Archive