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Bebop Spoken There

Alan Barnes: "Normally you can cobble a set together with five guys on the back of an envelope over the first pint and it's just fine. Livestreaming isn't like that." - (Jazzwise July 2021)

Archive quotes.

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.

Postage

13,381 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 13 years ago. 799 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (June 20).

From This Moment On

JUNE

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). POSTPONED!

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, North Tyneside 1:00pm).

Thu 24: Maine Street Jazzmen @ Sunniside Social Club, Gateshead (8:30pm).

Fri 25: Hot Club du Nord @ St Mary's Parish Hall, Barnard Castle. 7:00pm. Tickets: £15.00. + bf. A Barnard Castle Rotary Club event. POSTPONED!

Fri 25: Archipelago + Faith Brackenbury @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle (8:00pm). £10.00. & £8.00. Echoes to the Sky album launch. A GCT Jazz Club-Jazz North East co-promotion.

Fri 25 Alter Ego @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton, Darlington (8:00pm). POSTPONED!

Sat 26: Tyne Valley Big Band @ The Sele, Hexham (3:45pm).

Sun 27: Vieux Carré Hot Four @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay (12 noon).

Sun 27: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle (8:00pm). £10.00. Advance booking essential: www.jazzcoop. A Jazz Co-op-Jazz North East co-promotion.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Julija Jacenaite & Alexys de Alfaro @ Jazz Cafe Mezzanine - January 22

(Review and photo of Irene Birkett & James Birkett by Russell/Photos of Julija Jacenaite & Alexys de Alfaro courtesy of Mike Tilley)

Julija Jacenaite (vocals, piano); Alexys de Alfaro (guitar, vocals) + Irene Birkett (vocals); James Birkett (guitar)

It was to be an afternoon of four quarters. Vocalist Julija Jacenaite opened on piano with original material from her days back home in Lithuania. Part classical, part playful composition, this unexpected selection revealed another side to JJ. 

Alexys de Alfaro stepped up to play a solo spot of his own. Deploying looped rhythms our guitarist from Peru improvised on a series of compositions variously taking the form of the bolero, bossa and samba including an original number titled Black Butterfly.   

Following a short interval Julija introduced two guests (this was to be the third of four sets). Irene Birkett (one of JJ's vocal students) sang two numbers. The first of them (Love Me or Leave Me) featured guitar accompaniment by one James Birkett! The second number (I Can't Get Started) heard Irene scatting for a while alongside Julija with James adopting a supporting role. We can expect to hear more from Irene in the future. 

The final quarter (re)united Julija and Alexys in their now familiar duo format. Fly Me to the Moon then Agua de Beber (JJ singing in Portuguese) propelled the Lithuanian-Peruvian partnership into the stratosphere. The Lennon and McCartney songbook yields many riches and on this occasion JJ chose to sing a winning All My Loving. When the mood takes her Julija can wring out a lyric and she did just that on At Last. The afternoon drew to a close in a well attended Mezzanine Cafe with Mas Que Nada and its inviting singalong 'opa, opa, opa'.       
Russell 
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