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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

CD Review: Voctave - Somewhere There's Music

Kate Lott, Tiffany Coburn, Ashley Espinoza, Sarah Whittemore, Chrystal Johnson, E. J.Cardona, Tony De Rosa, Kurt von Schmittou, Jacob C Fullerton, Karl Hudson (voices), Jamey Ray (voice/arrangements)
(Review by Lance)

I'll be honest and hold my hand up and admit that I wasn't in the mood for reviewing. I opted, instead, to relax with a game of computer chess (intermediate level). I decided some innocuous background noise would help my levels of concentration so I flipped this on to the player and went for a tried and tested Ruy Lopez opening. However, I hadn't got beyond P-K4 (e4 in algebraic notation) when Flash! Bang! Alakazam! chess was forgotten and I resigned before my robotic opponent had replied!

Yes, Orange Colored Sky was the opening number on the CD and the sound, the harmonies, the arrangement the amazing range of the singers had me reeling - this was the choir to end all choirs. Six men and five women from Central Florida singing 13 GASbook classics a cappella.

Maybe purists ancient and modern will dispute its jazz credibility, so be it, although if Jamey Ray's arrangements had been scored for instruments as opposed to voices they'd think differently! 

Listen to how On the Sunny Side of the Street is cleverly interwoven with Give Me the Simple Life.

Apart from the individual tracks there are two medleys. The first is dedicated to the Andrews Sisters - In the Mood; Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree; Sing, Sing, Sing; Mele Kalikimaka; Rum and Coca Cola & The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B. The second is a tribute to Ella - How High the Moon; A-Tisket, A-Tasket & I'm Beginning to See the Light. Both are absolute killers!

Some numbers feature individuals. Kate Lott displays her amazing range and breath control on Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Chrystal Johnson injects new life into My Funny Valentine and Karl Hudson impresses on I'll Be Seeing You.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow; Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; Moon River; The Summer Knows and Smile are the other gems along with a bonus track - Won't You Be My Neighbor - a song related to Rollins College where Voctave were recently named as Artists-In-Residence.

Check this out - it's merely fantastic - on Spotify or try/buy samples.
Lance.

3 comments :

Liz said...

Quite wonderful, just loved it, where do you find these gems?

Lance said...

They find me!

Liz said...

And you pass the information on, must buy it thanks so much Lance!

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