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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

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.

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.

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.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Sorathy Korwar @ Sage Gateshead (Sage 2) – Nov. 19

(Review by Steve T)

It's becoming increasingly futile to second-guess what to expect at gigs, but there was never any doubt in my mind I'd be going to this one.

His My East is Your West is one of the finest albums I've ever reviewed for Bebop Spoken Here, but it came with scant information (actually none if I remember correctly).

I was expecting a tabla player so wasn't sure whether Sorathy was the drummer or the person rapping at the front of the stage: when Trilok Gurtu played the Sage with Paulo Fresu and Omar Sosa, he had various Indian percussion instruments incorporated within his standard kit.

The rapping was not of the typical American variety nor the original DJ/ toasters of Jamaica at the turn of the seventies, but of the British variety and specifically the British Asian variety, but with a distinctly Gil Scott Heron influence, further suggested by his splendid beard and hat.

When he left the stage after the first piece, I wondered if he would return with a pair of tablas but it quickly became apparent that the drummer - unassuming behind his kit at the back of the stage - was nobody's sideman.

He was aided and abetted by a sax player to his right, sometimes heavily distorted and sometimes clean, and keyboards to his left playing lots of sounds, though managing to avoid some of the excesses of some electronic-soul outfits.

The dapper rapper would return for some more topical spoken word about Boris' Britain, but my enduring impression of this gig was without doubt the astonishing prowess of the leader, the latest Asian percussionist I've come across whose abilities just seem to be off any scales we may have grown accustomed to.

Extraordinary.     
Steve T

PS: The Sage is a fifty mile round trip for us so it's sometimes difficult to get there in time during the week. When we got there we found out John Pope was the support act doing a solo bass piece.

Since I often struggle to maintain interest with trios, unless there's a Hammond or one of them is singing, we decided not to go in in the middle of the set.

However, the lady sat next to me told me he'd done a great job keeping it interesting with entertaining announcements, plenty of variety and some bow work and actually singing on the final piece and apparently he has a fine voice.

Any more north east jazz musicians with something they'd like to tell us?   

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