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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Friday, April 05, 2019

CD Review: Scott Robinson - Tenormore

Scott Robinson (tenor sax); Helen Sung (piano/B3); Dennis Mackrell (bass/bass guitar); Martin Wind (drums) + Sharon Robinson (flute on 1 tk.).
(Review by Lance).

A fine tenor sax outing for a musician who's at home on any of Adolphe Sax's inventions.
Opening up with an unaccompanied take on Lennon and McCartney's And I Love Her he removes all sentiment from the song treating it as one long cadenza beginning somewhere up in the sopranino range.

His own composition, Tenor Eleven, is a more conventional hard bop blower which displays just how awesome his technique is. There's also space for Helen Sung who knocked everyone for six when she appeared in the UK last year with the Mingus Big Band. Ms. Sung does even better here with the extra space allotted. Robinson himself commented in the album notes: "To me, she's kind of the star of the album. She plays so beautifully on everything; there's a lot to like."


Put on a Happy Face offers contrast with a delicate ballad reading of a song from the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie. As well as the emotive tenor playing, once again, Helen Sung shares the glory, this time with reflective chords and totally sympathetic harmonies. I'm surprised more musicians haven't realised the possibilities of this song.

Morning Star, written by Robinson as a Valentine's Day gift for his wife - aah! - has a strong melody that, if someone were to add words, it would reopen the GASbook. Listen also to Helen. Maybe next Valentine's Day Scott will loan me the tune and I'll dedicate it to this lovely lady on piano! There's also a fine solo from Wind but I ain't sending him no Valentines!

The Good Life begins with some free improvisation which does nothing to enhance the tune but once that's out of the way more fine tenor playing follows. Robinson's vibrato hangs on the end of a note just deep enough to enhance the tone without sounding maudlin or dated. And Helen's few bars at the end - the icing on the cake.

Tenor Twelve is another Robinson original - a swinger straight out of a recording studio in Hackensack NJ circa 1958. At the risk of becoming a bore, Helen's praises must be sung  once more, she can kick ass with the best of them. Drums also put the boot in and bass doesn't get lost in the shake-up. Indeed it's Wind who composed Rainy River. Our pianist switches to B3 for this one, Robinson is soulful, and the composer lays down one of the more meaningful double bass solos. It has a churchy feel and the leader's solo ends up in the direction of heaven. 

There are some spoken words at the start of Robinson's The Weaver as well as some flute from Sharon Robinson - Scott's wife. Helen switches stools and weaves some intricate  piano patterns that are made even more compelling when Sharon re-enters the fray - a tour de force!

The Nearness of You: Cool tenor, B3, bass guitar, some metronomic drumming and the funkiest workout ever for Hoagy's classic.

Finally, the title track, Tenormore brings an intriguing rotation of combinations between all four players. Mackrell/Robinson/Sung/Wind - perm any 2 from 4. Simply stupendous!
Lance.
Available today (April 5) on Arbors Records.

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