Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Tuesday, May 07, 2019

Darlington Jazz Festival: Sebastiaan de Krom Quintet @ The Market Square Marquee - May 4


Martin Shaw (trumpet); Brandon Allen (tenor saxophone); Gareth Williams (piano); Steve Watts (double bass); Sebastiaan de Krom (drums)
(Review by Russell)

The idea of a town centre marquee to help promote this year's jazz festival to a wider public must have seemed like a good idea...on paper. What the festival organisers couldn't have bargained for were near Arctic conditions on the middle evening of the three-day event. An industrial size heater intermittently pumped hot air into the tent. As the audience huddled together coats remained firmly buttoned. 


Friend of Darlington Jazz Festival Sebastiaan de Krom returned to the County Durham town with his all-star band in tow. The band leader and three of his buddies opted for jackets, the odd one out, the hard man of the quintet, Steve Watts, played it in shirt sleeves. The easy-going de Krom spoke warmly (warmly!) of the work put in by festival director Shaune Eland and his team to make the event the success it is and the many friendly faces he encountered around town.

Drummer de Krom selected an all Miles' programme. Two sets of music written by, or associated with, trumpeter Miles Davis proved to be a popular draw. Miles' musical partner from way back - Charlie Parker - provided an early highlight (Ah-Leu-Cha), similarly Jackie McLean's Little Melonae with solos spread across the quintet; the horns - Martin Shaw (trumpet) and the musically muscular Aussie tenor saxophonist Brandon Allen - flanked on their right by a rather frozen-looking Gareth Willams (piano), de Krom himself operating in the shadows to their left with hard man Watts surveying all before him from the back of the stage.

As the cold set in pianist Williams stopped mid-solo to blow on his hands - the group huddle sympathised! Budo (comp. Miles Davis and/or Bud Powell) led into modal-era Miles on Dear Old Stockholm featuring a fine solo from Watts who was a tower of strength all night. The setlist
 contained a string of numbers recorded by de Krom's subject; Our Delight (Tadd Dameron), All of You (Cole Porter) with Williams sufficient warmed-up to knock out a great solo, the ostensibly odd choice of Sweet Sue, Just YouRound Midnight and, to close, Teo, Miles' tribute to influential producer Teo Macero. 

It had been a night for hardy souls, those who stuck with it heard some tremendous jazz from the ensemble and its A-list soloists. Sebastiaan de Krom is a man of sunny disposition, just what Dr Jazz ordered on a night such as this.     
Russell

1 comment :

Jim Hall (on F/b) said...

How these guys played such mesmerising jazz when the temperature must have been close to freezing beggars belief true pros, that’s why they’re at the top of the tree. Must mention Gareth Williams great chordal and solo work.

Blog Archive