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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15848 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 855 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Sept. 18).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: La Malbec Orchestra @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 21: Linsday Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Ray Stubbs R & B All Stars @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:30pm. Free.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: Brief Encounter @ Bardon Mill Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:00pm. Tickets: £10.00. adv from 07885 303166; £12.00. on the door. Chris & Veronica Perrin improvising to a screening of the 1929 'Jazz Age' silent film Piccadilly (Dir. Ewald André Dupont).
Fri 22: Paul Edis & Graeme Wilson + Three Tsuru Origami @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 22: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 22: Abbie Finn's Finntet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tanfield Railway, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. A '1940s Weekend' event.
Sat 23: Jason Isaacs @ Stack, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 23: Andrew Porritt & Keith Barrett @ Cullercoats Watch House, Front St., Cullercoats NE30 4QB. 7:00pm.
Sat 23: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Country blues.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

CD Review: Judy Wexler - Crowded Heart

Judy Wexler (vocals); Alan Pasqua (piano/melodica); Larry Koonse (guitar); Bob Sheppard (alto flute); Darek Oles (bass); Steve Hass (drums); Stefanie Fife (cello); Josh Johnson (alto sax); Aaron Serfaty (perc.).
(Review by Lance)

Crowded Heart somehow got lost in transit in the journey from my mailbox to the Victrola and, as such, I'm a few weeks late in posting a review. In the meantime, it has hit the number one spot of both the 1tunes and Amazon Jazz Charts - this without my help!

Subtitled Jazz Standards for the 21st Century, it's a poignant disc full of songs of love lost, love found, modern life, dreams that didn't come true, chance meetings, sex - the whole 9 yards of emotion. Songs of today.

Circus Life, a samba, relates to the insanity of modern life it's one of the few bright sounding numbers.

Parisian Heartbreak by Richard Galliano has lyrics by Kurt Elling and, as the title implies, is the complete opposite to April in Paris or any other Parisian songs you care to mention.

Crowded Heart by Danish vocalist Sinne Eeg has lyrics by Mads Mathias and deals with the end of an adulterous love affair. 

Gregory Porter composed music and lyrics for Painted on Canvas making the point that a person's life is enhanced by the people and experiences one embraces - well er maybe.

Norma Winstone provided the words to Fred Hersch's Stars and Wexler's approach to these songs mirrors Winstone's in many ways.

Another British vocalist, Georgia Mancio provided the lyrics and Alan Broadbent the music to The Last Goodbye. The duo released their own version a couple of years back.

Take My Breath Away positively sizzles it took my breath away - I needed a cold shower! Sexy and suggestive lyric by French singer René Marie.

I Took Your Hand. Lorraine Feather's lyric tells the story of a woman who goes to a ball (as they do) and falls in love with a masked reveller (as they don't - not that I've ever been to a masked ball, perhaps my luck will turn if I do!)

It's Only Smoke. "I keep dreaming of a fire, but when I wake up to the cold It's only smoke" Music by Larry Goldings words by Cliff Goldmacher.

Pianist Pasqua composed And We Will Fly with more words from Elling and, at long last, a song of optimism. Beautiful intro from Koonse.

An album that deserves its popularity. Rarely heard songs from recent years but worthy of a place in the Great American Song Book Vol. 2 (or perhaps it should be the Great World Songbook given that we have songs from France, Venezuela, Great Britain, Denmark, New Zealand, Italy and, of course, USA. Wexler has the perfect voice for the material and has a band of outstanding soloists who make the most of their limited opportunities.

A gem.
Lance.

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