Total Pageviews

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

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

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.
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.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

CD/LP Review: Doc Bowling & his Blues Professors - Cosmopolitan Soul

(Review by Lance)

Regarded by many as London's top contemporary blues band which, some may argue, means the UK's number 1, Doc Bowling and his Professors do nothing to change that view with this vinyl offering (also available on CD and download).

This isn't one of those "Well I woke up this mornin' bands" although they obviously did. The material, however, is more in tune with today with the overall feel being an appeal for racial integration.

Cosmopolitan Soul: A funky pulse with JB Horns style brass and a blistering sax solo from Fox.

She Noh Nah: Fox blows again here. The feel is of early Manfred Mann and some paintstripping trumpet from Braun takes it out.

Black White and Blue: Another plea for equality from the Doc with some fancy feline fiddlin'.

MLK was a Trekkie: MLK - Martin Luther King - explores the universe on the Starship Enterprise...

Hitler's Favourite Cowboy:.. and if you thought the last title was bizarre... That old country favourite Ghost Riders in the Sky provides the melody for this one. To think Hitler's favourite author (Karl May) wrote westerns. Not only that - he was a pacifist!

Stop and Search Yourself: A counterblast to the overuse of police powers on top of the Elmore James riff appropriated by Fleetwood Mac.

The Loving Blues: A jaunty country blues that bounces along beneath the more serious and, ultimately law-changing story of a mixed race married couple in Virginia who were jailed for being married to each other. This was actually based around the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving whose case was heard by the US Supreme Court resulting in interracial marriage no longer being seen as a criminal act - even in Virginia.

Blue Mambo: A dancy, Latin 12 bar with solos from the horns of Johannes Sahmland Bowling and Laurent Dumoulin.

High Speed Train Blues: Paradoxically a mega slow lament based on  Leroy Carr's How Long Blues relocated to Kings Cross. Blues drenched Hammond B3 and wailing guitar remain faithful to the original but we, the listeners/travellers, are still waiting for HS2.

Laius' Lament: Not many blues deal with the Oedipus complex and those (if any!) that do aren't usually recited in BBC announcer's English. Strange? Yes, but the quasi Oxford accent only adds to its quirky appeal.

The Blue Waltz: Based on Leadbelly's Irene Goodnight it's also a personal expression of love by Doc B.
The final line says it all: So, while we still have breath, we just have to keep dancing.

A great band - let somebody put up the Thunderbird wine, a couple of  '57 pick-up trucks, a fistful of dollars and bring 'em north of the Johnson-Corbyn Line.
Lance

Doc Bowling (guitar, vocals, harmonica); Donnie Burke (lead/baritone/slide guitars, banjo, backing vocals); Simon Minney (bass, backing vocals); Roger Chapman (drums - 8 tracks -, percussion, backing vocals) + Graham Hadley (drums - 3 tracks); Louie Watson (percussion, backing vocals); Susi Sahmland (backing vocals); Sophie Loyer* (violin); Johannes Sahmland Bowling (alto/tenor sax - 4 tracks); Rainer Fox (alto/baritone sax - 2 tracks); Martin Sander, Frank Braun, Laurent Dumoulin (trumpet on various tracks); Jens Skwirblies (Hammond - 2 tracks); Eddie Kulak (piano - 3 tracks); Kenny Bruno (piano - 1 track); Melania Wicks (voiceover - 1 track).

* Aka Mlle Chat Noir

1 comment :

Patti said...

And who can resist a CD review like this! I've just ordered one - available from CDBaby!

Blog Archive