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Bebop Spoken There

Kelly Sill: "Just because everyone is playing through the changes in the same time doesn't mean they're actually playing together" - (JazzTimes March/April 2023).

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

15260 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 279 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (March 29).

From This Moment On ...

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Jambone @ Sage Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (book online). A YMP! event in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 01: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 04: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 04: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Bradley Johnston (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations. Feat. John Pope, Marie Shreer, John Garner.
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 06: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Note earlier start time.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 07: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 07: Finntet + Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion @ Bobik's, Punch Bowl, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.
Fri 07: TBA @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Blind Pig Blues Club.

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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