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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Thursday, August 01, 2019

Malta Jazz Festival 2019 - Nights July 20.

(Review by Steve T)

Once I'd discovered there's a jazz scene in Malta, I found an album by Dominic and Benedict Galea called Mnajdra Jazz Suite, which seemed to achieve a spot-on blend of tradition and the future. On my next visit I found one called Tribute, to the pioneers of jazz in Malta, also featuring Dominic prominently.

One of the daytime acts at this year’s festival was Francesca Galea and the Saturday night opening set - led by Dominic - featured guitarist Karl Galea. Bit of a dynasty going on I assumed until enquiries to Francesca by one of the coffee and Campari set confirmed that Galea is a bit like Smith in England.

Nevertheless, it seems Dominic has been a big deal in Malta for years (and had a British band which once played the Malta Festival) - a bit like Paul Edis in the northeast - and he assembled a band of upcoming young musicians called the Dominic Galea Generation for the opening set of the final night.

It featured him on piano, Karl on guitar who, with Carlo Muscat on sax, provided great soloing throughout, a busy upright bass player in Dean Montanaro and subtle, un-intrusive, understated drumming from Manuel Pulis.

The set began with the band augmented by two young Maltese men reciting spoken word in Maltese, before going into a series of lesser known jazz pieces, including one by Wayne Shorter. Galea's (that's Dominic) introductions were entirely in Maltese and I don't know if this is how he always does it or was something of a political statement to take a stab at Brexit; who knows?     

Jazzmeia Horn was much anticipated and arrived onstage with a great pianist, bass player and drummer for an extended workout of a Betty Carter piece I didn't know, complete with vocal gymnastics, extended scatting, bird songs, animal noises and screeching. One of the afternoon crowd left claiming it was rubbish and I confess I found it excessive, but it settled down for the rest of the set, enhanced significantly by the arrival of seriously dreadlocked Irwin Hall on sax and flute.

Coming from a soul background, I'm not much of a fan of jazz singers, but Sarah Vaughan - perhaps the most soulful - is probably my favourite, and Horn delivered a track from an album Vaughan made with Clifford Brown, which I must check out. The rest of the set came from her debut album and the forthcoming follow-up, due out in August.

She's a good singer but not the most remarkable I've ever heard, though her scatting seems to me to be second to none, and I can't help feeling she's destined for big things.

Of course Kenny Garrett was a large part of the attraction this year; one of the greatest living jazz saxophonists and one of the most important jazz musicians on the planet right now. His quintet featured another brilliant pianist - Vernell Brown - taking the bulk of the soloing on the odd, brief moments Garrett took the horn out of his mouth.  

The set was essentially in two parts, slipping seamlessly from post-Trane to his more recent forays into funk-jazz. The former was almost beyond belief, especially when it went down to just sax and drums - and he seems to have found his Elvin Jones in Sam Laviso - or when it went down to lone sax. Trane references came thick and fast and it's easy to imagine this is where he might have been had he played alto during his golden years. 

Life doesn't get better than this.

Part two left the hard-core jazzers a little disappointed but the rest elated, with me somewhere in-between; (dammit, I am a Lib Dem!). Think Maceo Parker with unlimited chops. 

I was happy with the change of direction but, with so much back-catalogue to choose from, I found it wasteful to play such an extended version of his recent Do Your Dance, complete with audience participation that almost everybody ignored.

Although it in no way spoilt anything, it was a shame because it had been a stunning set and a wonderful festival.     
Steve T 

1 comment :

Steve T said...

While I wouldn't normally recommend Blues and Soul mag even to soul folk, much less jazz people, the current issue has reviews of both the Malta Jazz Festival and the jazz and soul Love Supreme Festival.
If this was an off-night for Kurt, bring on the Northern Rock Foundation Hall on 28th, but I suspect that may be symptomatic of what's wrong with B + S these days.

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