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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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

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.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
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).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Olie Brice Quintet @ Jazz Café - Oct. 18

Olie Brice (bass); Mike Fletcher (Alto); George Crowley (Tenor/Bass Clarinet); Alex Bonney (Cornet); Jeff Williams (Drums).
 (Review/photos courtesy of Ken Drew)

The same line-up also appeared here 2 years ago. It went down well then, so would it be equally as enjoyable?  Not exactly - it was way more energetic, the pieces seemed to have an extra energy and vibrancy. Overall the quintet produced much more than the sum of the parts (i.e. the original compositions plus 5 players).  The compositions were influenced by musical and literary heroes of Olie's, and were wonderfully executed by each player’s musical freedom producing an exciting energetic sound which had everyone enthralled.  Such a tight, well-honed band, yet very adventurous both in the compositions and their delivery.  The music explores that wonderful space between the composed and the improvised, and succeeds!

 
'Aunt Nancy’s Balloons'  Sounding initially like a warm-up giving each player a chance to settle in and demonstrate their solo capabilities, this was a wonderfully free-feeling tune with an underlying melody, nicely demonstrating how the composition was taken to a higher plane in the hands of all concerned.
It seemed like it was in at the deep end - but it really outlined the shape of things to come.   A variety of tunes followed, each with specific yet obscure titles (of which Olie has described in some detail in his sleeve notes).   'Another Mad Yak'   'Red Honey - Yellow Honey'    Wow!  - powerful stuff amidst cries of  'Brilliant!!!'  from the audience at the end of Set 1. And well deserved too!

Set 2 - more of the same, strong blistering solos played around fine compositions.  'Older Busier'  'What might Be' (a ballad with bass clarinet) And an old 'favourite'  but deconstructed tune:  'If you were the only girl in the world ......' which slowly and finally resolved in the well-known melody, bringing smiles all round. And finally 'Day After Day'.   

Overall Brice succeeds as a composer, band-leader and player. What a wonderful result formed by these 5 superb musicians playing so superbly in a composed/improvised setting to bring Olie’s compositions to a vibrant stage. Tremendous!
Ken.
PS: The Jazz Alert publicity for this had provided a brief insight into what to expect: 

"Olie’s love for melody with plenty of space for free-ranging improvisation, the three-horn front line of Alex Bonney on cornet, George Crowley on tenor, and Mike Fletcher on alto provide a subtle blend of textured harmonies and open but measured intensity. With Olie’s own compelling bass playing and the impeccable drumming of former Stan Getz sideman Jeff Williams, this is a band that brilliantly balances the straight-ahead and the free, and unfailingly enthralls fans of both approaches."   

And so it was.........


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