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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, May 27, 2019

CD Review: The Last Taxi - New Destinations


Chiara Liuzzi (voice, electronics, sound objects), Giorgia Santoro (flute, bass flute, bansuri, xiao, piccolo, voice, effects), Adolfo La Volpe (guitar, live electronics), Giacomo Mongelli (drums), Chris Rathbun (bass), Pat Battstone (piano).
(Review by Steve T)

Ethnic sounding flute and female voice with something going on behind. I knew this was going to be a tricky review, with three out of six musicians playing electronics, sound objects, effects and live electronics, not to mention a couple of instruments I've never heard of. Anybody who would be interested in it will probably have already made up their minds.


Track two evolves into something resembling a jazz piano trio, then voice - and possibly some discernible lyrics - before some unusual guitar chords joined in, then flute.

Some breathing and sound-effects lead into another piano trio, plus more obscure, obtuse guitar chords, then joined by one of the flute family before it settles into a basic rock rhythm, giving the whole thing some welcome release.

Piano, heavy breathing, some effects, guitar but this time it's a long piece to sustain. And so it goes on though becoming increasingly difficult to maintain interest.

Until track ten of thirteen. Morning in a Japanese Garden   with some Far East Asian sounding instrumentation and vocalising, joined by some lovely, tasteful ivory tinkling bringing a contrasting Western flavour.

I'd love to say the album is better than my futile adjectives suggest but, if I'm honest, I suspect I'm making it sound better than it actually is. While there is a market for this type of thing, I doubt if anybody from the regular Bebop Spoken Here team are equipped to do it justice. Ann Alex claims she has been promoted to reviewing instrumental albums so perhaps I've been demoted to reviewing a vocal album, although I remain uncertain whether there are any recognisable words.

I don't dislike it and some of it's very good, and I'm not averse to interludes, provided they enhance the jouissance, here the best bits would work fine as interludes, but fall short as highlights.

I suspect it will be far more interesting live and I would certainly try to catch them if they played the North East, so perhaps that's where they could sell it.
Steve T 

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