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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Monday, November 18, 2019

CD Review: Ronny Whyte - Whyte Witchcraft

(Review by Lance)

Cy Coleman ranks alongside the big hitters such as Kern, Porter, the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hammerstein/Hart. and, of course, Irving Berlin, However, whereas the aristocracy of the GASbook's great compositions needed some redefining for the jazz world, Coleman's music needed no tweaking they were there for the taking by any musician or singer who had the chops to handle them. Ronnie Whyte is just such a singer, not least because he was a buddy and often got the songs first hand.

With words, in the main, by Caroline Leigh the material is first rate and with a belter of a big band behind him this must surely rate as one of the all-time classic vocal records.

File it alongside your albums by Sinatra, Bennett, Tormé and Ella albums and, not necessarily in that order.

Let's take a closer look...

Too Good to Talk About: The voice swings - ring-a-ding-ding - with  a Daniel Claude alto solo and a John Eckert trumpet blast to boot it along. 

It Amazes Me; Listen to the verse - My height.... just average, my weight.... just average, and my IQ is what you'd estimate, just average. But evidently she does not agree, consequentially, if I seem at sea .... It amazes me.

The Best is yet to Come: Most of the saloon/cabaret singers have done this one and Whyte's version stands proudly alongside them with the bonus of some vocalese by Eddie Monteiro.

I'm Watching You: Another bouncy ballad with some Whyte piano thrown into the mix.

Sometime When You're Lonely: One of those romantic ballads that you wonder why you haven't heard it more often. Justin Wood slots in a few bars of tasty flute.

Witchcraft: Sinatra put his stamp on this one - or did he? Frank forgot to sing the verse and it's a cracker!

Shades of Old Lucretia Borgia, There's a devil in you tonight
And although my heart says I adore you, my head says this ain't right
Right to have you make advances, oh no
Under normal circumstances I'd go - but oh...

No, I guess Frank didn't forget, more likely some morality group stepped in. It's rather like the fuss they're making - after all of these years - over Baby its Cold Outside!

Sweet Talk: Floyd Huddleston wrote the lyric on this trio number.

On Second Thought: Regrets on breaking up - more nice piano.

Why Try to Change me Now?: Lyric by Joseph A. McCarthy. Sinatra owns this one although Whyte makes a decent fist of it. Surprisingly, after Old Blue Eyes, the best version I've heard of this tune which will probably never be recorded is by local lass Lindsay Hannon and pianist Alan Law! Request it on a gig.

I've Got Your NumberI'm Not in Love Again; Rules of the Road; I Walk a Little Faster; You Fascinate Me So; Don't Ask a Lady; Here I Go Again; All Right, I Love You. These finish up the album. I haven't detailed them individually as the superlatives would make War and Peace seem like Mills & Boon.

To sum up - I like it! - not least, with all due respect to Ronny, because it helps to remind the world that Coleman/Leigh were a team to rate alongside any of the Broadway hotshots.
Lance

Currently available on Audiophile.
Sample, personnel details.

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