Total Pageviews

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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

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).

Thursday, December 12, 2019

The Bold Big Band @ The Dun Cow - Dec 11

(Review by Russell)

This band does what it says on the tin - BOLD in name, BOLD in performance. Comprising Newcastle University graduates and undergraduates with, on occasion, one or two professionals beefing up the numbers, the Bold Big Band certainly makes a big impression. 

The Dun Cow has previously played host to the band and tonight's gig pulled a large crowd of fellow students there to enjoy the music, the crack and, of course, to sink a few end of term beers.

Manteca blazed a trail. Dizzy Gillespie would have roared his approval, no doubt about it. MD Simon Hirst introduced Bob Florence's Willowcrest as the band's most challenging chart of the evening. It can be reported the orchestra rose to the challenge; superb ensemble work, powerful sections and, a rarity, Jordan Alfonso briefly switching to soprano sax. And still no let up with Gordon Goodwin's Backrow Politics making one hell of a din with the ace trumpet section in Big Phat Band mode.

New band vocalist Ally Wilson couldn't have got off to a better start singing Orange Colored Sky without resorting to lyric sheet, iphone or ipad and, what's more, Ms Wilson made herself heard - no mean achievement standing in front of a band like this! More? Yep, The Lady is a Tramp. We've found ourself a vocalist, let's hear Ally at a jam session. 

Phil Collins is rarely, if ever, mentioned on BSH (!) but we'll make an exception as Jordan Alfonso took Against All Odds by the throat and made something of it in a ballad feature for alto saxophone. The half time whistle came at just the right time...

MD Hirst set about reassembling the orchestra. As usual one or two band members had gone to powder their nose. Who would be a bandleader?! 

Spain seems to be in every big band's pad and here in Brandling Village it was in the Bold Big Band's set. A bravura piece requires the big guns to step up to the plate and Jordan Alfonso and trumpeter Tom Alcorn did just that. Excellent rollercoaster stuff. Lead trumpeter Danny Wilson picked up his flugelhorn for an oh-so-mellow intro to Chuck Mangione's Children of Sanchez before bottom end brass and reeds and top C trumpet mayhem broke loose. Thrilling stuff.

Ally Wilson rejoined the band for a Christmassy finale - Sway (not so Christmassy) then Santa Claus is Comin'  to Town (definitely Christmassy!). The brass boys put the B into BOLD on this one. A Big Band Christmas sent us on our way, some sorely tempted to go carroling. 
Russell
        
Tom Alcorn, Danny Wilson, Thomas, Oli Presland (trumpets); Jordan Alfonso (alto sax, soprano sax), David Johnson (alto sax), Sam Fox (tenor sax), Cristina (tenor sax), ? (baritone sax); Simon Hirst (MD), Bertie Marks, Alex Utting (trombones); Harry Knott (piano); Ifede Osiyemi (bass guitar); Dan (drums), Caleb (drums); Ally Wilson (vocals)   

No comments :

Blog Archive