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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Kamasi Washington @ Sage Gateshead - May 21

Kamasi Washington (tenor sax); Rickey Washington (soprano sax/flute); Ryan Porter (trombone); Brandon Coleman (keys/vocals); Miles Mosley (bass); Robert Miller, Tony Austin (drums); Patrice Quinn (vocals).
(Review by Lance).

Not many jazz-related bands go close to filling Sage One but, not many jazz-related bands are fronted by the current kingpin of the jazz/funk/soul scene, the man rapidly approaching legendary status - Kamasi Washington.

The hype was in, the fashion followers took heed and they weren't disappointed judging by the standing ov. at the end. Kamasi is a prodigious tenor player with an awesome technique who takes no prisoners. My initial reaction was of an F1 steamroller in a demolition derby but, as the evening progressed there were tender moments too. If jazz is to capture a younger audience without losing the older generation along the way then KW is the man to do it.

Equally impressive (and less flamboyant) was his dad Rickey on soprano sax and flute. Washington père delighted on both instruments. On trombone, Ryan Porter brought Jay Jay into the twenty-first century with some rapid-fire tromboning and a mellifluous sound. 

Brandon Coleman left no note unplayed attacking his assortment of keyboards with such ferocity that, had he been let loose on one of the venue's Steinways it would have been firewood by the end of the gig.

Miles Mosley did some amazing things on double bass - both arco and pizz - that left the listeners openmouthed by his dexterity whilst, also producing an almost celloic sonority.

Two drummers? I questioned the need for plural percussion - between them they had more drums than the average drum showroom - and yet they gelled without getting in each other's way to the extent that it wasn't always easy to say who was hitting what apart from Miller's big feature which, needless to say, brought the house down.

For most of the evening, Patrice remained a peripheral figure moving and grooving at stage (Sage?) left interpreting music by movement. As the evening rolled on she added her voice to the ensembles before emerging as a fully-fledged singer delivering words of protest such as Our time as victims is over / We will no longer ask for justice / Instead, we will take our retribution.”

Kamasi also offered some philosophic words on present-day issues such as equality that brought roars of approval from the crowd and will probably be forgotten tomorrow.

I didn't catch the titles of all the numbers but some of them were: The Psalmist; Harmony of Difference; Truth & Fists of Fury.
It was a memorable evening.
Lance.
PS: A review of the support act - Oscar Jerome - will be posted shortly.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hi Lance, took your recommendation to try and go to the Kamasi Washington gig last Tuesday. Unfortunately, they only had a few tickets available and all at the same price.

Anyway, my Wife and I decided to go for S1LIQ9 and S1L1Q8 @ £60 and proceeded to checkout.
The Sage’s system decided that it was unable to sell me 2 tickets as there were 3 seats together. The automatic website referred me to the box office. I contacted the box office by email and they refused to deal with the query. Their only hapless suggestion was to go into the booking queue and wait for the phone to be answered. Anyway to cut a long tedious story short we did not get to see Kamasi Washington.

Who does the Sage think they are? I think that they believe they are some world class venue and hence able to dictate terms to people who want to see a particular artist. They treated me in such a cavalier fashion that I will think twice about booking in the future.

Sadly for an old duffer like me, the days of the Corner House, Caedmon Library and the Darlington Arts Centre are long gone?

Anyway, there are many other sax players who play in a similar fashion. Look out for Shabaka Hutchings who I saw last year at the Church of Sound in London with the Cookers.

Another great young sax player to watch is Nubya Garcia who I was able to see in Leeds and then the following evening at the Band on the Wall Manchester. Just a few weeks ago.
Sometimes she can sound like Joe Henderson which is a bit nostalgic.
Anyone who would like to see her can catch her in early June at the Cluny Newcastle.

Lance said...

Sorry that you didn't leave your name - it's always easier to reply to a person.

I know that booking either online, email or phone can often be a long and tedious process - it's frequently the same trying to get an appointment with your doctor! With venues such as Sage Gateshead - which IS a world-class venue, no doubt about it, - I agree it can be frustrating. But, to compare Sage Gateshead with Corner House etc. is logistically impossible, two totally different venues. A pub with 100 max seating and a multi-hall concert venue capable of hosting events with audiences, across the genres of several thousand.

However, this is really something you should take up with Sage Gateshead who, incidentally, presented Shabaka Hutchings' band, The Comet is Coming, in March this year.

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