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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

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).

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.

Tuesday, November 06, 2018

Curtis Stigers @ Sage Gateshead - Nov. 5

Curtis Stigers (vocals/tenor); John 'Scrapper' Sneider (trumpet); Robin Aspland (piano); Cliff Schmitt (bass); Paul Wells (drums).
(Review by Lance/photo from BSH archives).
There are two views when it comes to a Stigers gig. Some say he offers variety whilst others claim he has too many hats and not enough heads!
The evidence suggests that both factions are right which may be why the latter opinionists stayed away for this wasn't the best attended of the 3 or 4 Stigers' concerts I've seen. I remember that at one of his earlier concerts a girl sitting next to me said to her boyfriend "I hope he isn't going to sing jazz all night." He didn't so, presumably, she went home satisfied.

Let's look at those hats.
1) Stigers the rocker.
2) Stigers the jazzman.
3) Stigers the singer of show tunes on 'The Proms'.
4) Stigers the crooner.

With the exception of no. 3 he more or less ticked all of the boxes,
His early hits were given the standard recognition of opening bars applause.
He blew some fine walkin' the bar, Big Easy style, tenor and his running mates were no slouches either - more of those relatively unsung heroes later.
He mercifully stayed away from the show tunes which brings us to Stigers the crooner.

His latest CD was recorded live with the Danish Radio Big Band and was a recreation of the legendary Sinatra/Basie at the Sands sessions and I think many (Team Bebop included) expected we were going to get more of the same as it was his current CD. In retrospect, how could we have been so naive as to expect a two-piece frontline to replicate the guys from Copenhagen let alone the full might of Basie's band!
As it was, he sang Fly me to the Moon from the album and it was ok.

Other gassers included an impressive rendition of My Funny Valentine - unlike most Valentiners he injected some powerful dynamics into this most maudlin of songs. Hooray For Love reminded us that Yip Harburg wrote some good songs, You Don't Know What Love is was suitably poignant and Bye Bye Blackbird swung us into the Randy Newman encore. 

Contemporary material included pieces by Tom Waites, Bob Dylan, Mose Allison, Willie Dixon and the Randy Newman tear jerker to close.

However, for me, the highlights were Stigers' earthy tenor,  Robin Aspland's piano, drummer Wells' solos and support, the effective bass/vocal moments and the unlikely named Scrapper Schneider on trumpet. Closing my eyes, I was hearing Roy Hargrove again - the same clear sound. Paradoxically, 'Scrapper' is from Brockton, Mass, the same city that undefeated heavyweight champ, the late Rocky Marciano, came from. Perhaps that's how he got the name! Scrapper may never make The Ring ratings but he sure deserves to be in the DownBeat ones.

The standing ovation at the end was probably deserved and, although I didn't stand up myself, I did applaud heartily.
Lance. 

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