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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

CD Review: Tini Thomsen’s MaxSax – Shift


Tini Thomsen (baritone saxophone); Nigel Hitchcock (alto saxophone); Tom Trapp (guitar); Mark Haanstra (bass); Joost Kroon (drums) with guest Miles Bould (percussion).
(Review by Hugh C)

Tini Thomsen originally hails from Hamburg but more recently has been based in Amsterdam.  Shift is the third album released by MaxSax.  King of Diamonds sets the tone and hits the listener straight away with high energy performance over a driving rock-style beat from Kroon’s powerhouse drumming.  Shift features more of Hitchcock’s alto, but maintains the rhythmic drive of the opening track.  The Gospel Tune has a slower, more laid back (well, gospel) feel with interesting interplay between both the saxes and Trapp’s guitar.  Little Lily’s Shoe brings us back to driving four time.

Happy Segment Day is in a funkier groove, with subtle melodic effects from both alto and baritone horns.  Planet Funk (at least I assume this is the title of the 6th track despite what appears to be a typo on the CD cover where a “c” replaces the “n” of funk!) is the shortest track on the album at 1:38, but is probably the heaviest so far (in rock guitar terms that is).  Big Boys starts in a similar vein. It’s probably no surprise that these two tracks are from the pen of Tom Trapp, who also composed the first track.  The remaining tracks are Thomsen compositions.  Bitter Sweet Harmony benefits from Miles Bould’s impressive array of percussive implements imparting an Afro-jazz feel.  Petal#6  (jointly composed by Thomsen and Nigel Hitchcock)  is addressed to all MaxSax fans and is partly vocalised and partly “spoken” through alto and baritone saxophones.  Walk completes the CD.

This is certainly an interesting listen, with much to commend it.  The style of music leans toward the rock style, in both percussion and guitar terms.  There is however an overall jazz feel – mainly imparted by Thomsen’s baritone and Hitchcock’s alto - with a sprinking of gospel and other  influences.  The CD is issued on 393 Records (TTNCD-008) and is available now.  Tini Thomsen will be at Royal Albert Hall, London as part of Prom 64 “The Breaks” on September 6.

And...
...Joost Kroon will be appearing at a social club near you in the near future.
Hugh C

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