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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Monday, March 11, 2019

CD Review: Cathy Segal-Garcia - Dreamsville

Cathy Segal-Garcia (vocals); Larry Koonse (guitar); Josh Nelson (piano)
(Review by Ann Alex)

The twelfth CD from Cathy Segal-Garcia, singer, songwriter, teacher, and linchpin on the Los Angeles jazz scene, sees her working with A-list musicians, Larry Koonse, a first-call guitarist who has recorded 5 CD’s as a leader plus many others as a sideman, and pianist Josh Nelson, who has 6 albums to his credit and who has also created a multi-media show that involves music, art and visuals.

Dreamsville comprises 8 standards, 2 songs written by Ms Segal-Garcia, and also a piece from the classical repertoire, Scarlatti’s Sonata in B Minor L33, which was originally written for harpsichord. The three musicians worked out all the arrangements together during rehearsals, with the rich alto voice floating over a lush piano and guitar accompaniment.

This was mostly an enjoyable listening experience, with a dreamy feel as suggested by the title, and lots of slow songs though I was longing to hear an honest to goodness swing number. Perhaps they could have included a swinger with ‘dreamy’ words, such as No Moon At All?  The Scarlatti piece didn’t quite work for me. The guitar and piano were excellent, as on all the tracks, but the voice somehow lacked that mysterious spark on this one. I think that generally jazz and classical fusions rarely work. This fusion may have sounded better with just piano and guitar.

These reservations apart, the rest was fine. I especially liked the opening track, Henry Mancini’s Dreamsville, lots of space for an instrumental duet, and the voice playing with the word ‘dreamsville’ up to the fade-out ending. The Three of Us is a heartfelt original song about the fact that the singer’s twin sisters had both died. The three of them used to sing in a trio.

September in the Rain is a superb arrangement, rain and falling leaves portrayed in music and tapping on wood, then leaves chasing around, and the voice does pleasing variations of the tune. Pensativa is normally a bossa, but here it is done as an interesting jazz waltz. Beyond the Years is a haunting original song about finding love after many years and the CD concludes with Sometime Ago/Children’s Song, with wordless vocals and hints of free jazz.

Other tracks are: Canto Triste, Lonely Woman, Zingaro, and You Are There.

The CD is available from March 15, on Dash Hoffman Records DHR 1023, in stores and online at CDbaby.com.

Ann Alex (Our woman in South Shields!)

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