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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.
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.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

CD/ DVD Review - Jazz Sabbath.

According to the legend, heavy metal behemoths Black Sabbath stole some of their earliest songs from a mythical jazz group called Jazz Sabbath, whose album was pulled when the bandleader was hospitalised on the eve of its release.    
 
Black Sabbath were the first band I saw live, aged - using the vernacular of the time - nearly ten and a half. At the time they were one of the big rock bands alongside Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple only - to continue with the vernacular - heavier.

Since all of those bands emerged in the wake of Cream and Hendrix, I've never doubted rock music came from jazz, in coalition with the blues; an argument promulgated further when you consider early American rockers with strong jazz credentials: Zappa, Beefheart and Santana.

This album presents seven covers of tracks from the first four Black Sabbath albums: four from the second set Paranoid and one each from the debut, Master of Reality and Vol 4. 

Much of it is fairly straightforward piano trio stuff but is significantly embellished by guitar on three cuts (Fairies Wear Boots, Hand of Doom), alongside Hammond and sax on one of them (Children of the Grave). 

Given the subject matter, it's fairly lightweight stuff, though the musicianship is fine, especially piano and some propulsive drumming.  

That they are all Sabbath songs is largely irrelevant and no doubt designed to attract Sabbath fans, of which there are hordes, but if it attracts more music lovers to jazz, that can only be a good thing, and despite much of the nonsense, I believe metal fans are essentially music lovers.

While I'm familiar with all of the originals, even Evil Woman - which more or less shares the same riff as the more famous Black Night by Deep Purple - didn't  particularly jump out at me. As a rare ballad, Changes is easy to spot but, other than that, it's really left to fan favourite Iron Man, though the Bad Plus version is far more demented, even than the original. 

Incidentally, I've found another band called Casualties of Jazz who made an album of Sabbath covers which I must investigate.
  
Accompanying the album is a fifteen minute rockumentary/ mockumentary/jazzumentary which features a few rock luminaries and - while no Spinal Tap - has a few funny moments, not least a musician associated with Take That, ELO, Annie Lennox and 10cc (also Bill Withers) saying he was drawn to jazz because he can do better than that shit.

The album's available now on CD, digital, vinyls and cassette.    

Unremarkable.
Steve t. 

Milton Keanes (piano); Jacque T'fono (upright bass); Juan Take (drums) +  Fenton Breezby (sax); Wes Tostrayer, Steven Stringer, Chester Draws (guitar); Leighton B'zard (Hammond).

Alternatively: Adam Wakeman (piano), Jerry Meehan (bass), Ash Soan (drums), guests uncredited.

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