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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.

Friday, May 08, 2020

CD Review: Dave Askren and Jeff Benedict - PARAPHERNALIA, The Music Of Wayne Shorter,

Jeff Benedict (saxophones); Dave Askren (guitar); Jonathan Pintoff (bass); Chris Garcia (percussion)
(Review by Chris K)
Benedict and Askren are a US pairing who occasionally record with pals, but are not a household name in the UK.  Their game is to take classics and give them a laid back West Coast work over, recasting rhythm and arrangement, so much in some cases that the songs' own parents wouldn't recognise them.  Their previous 2017 effort, Come Together (reviewed here) jazzed up the Beatles’ number, and "smoothed out" jazz classics like Nardis and Moment’s Notice.

This time their raw material is a varied slice of ten Wayne Shorter songs, spanning from Miyako and JuJu (1964), through the title song from Miles in the Sky (1968)  and on to a Weather Report number, Harlequin (1977). They state that they don’t try to sound like Shorter, because you can’t do better than the original music. Taking that at face value, the joy here for me was re-acquainting (or listening for the first time) to the originals, to better understand what Askren and Benedict have done. (Whether it was worth the effort, you'll have to read through to the end!)
When I first saw the CD title, I thought for one brief moment that the magnificent Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia had released a new (or old) album!  After overcoming my disappointment, it did occur to me that the Shorter song may even have been the inspiration for her band's name, as surely he was one of her heroes : - anyone know? 
The album kicks off with E.S.P. (title track of Miles’ 1965 album). This has morphed from a confident post-bop statement driven by Tony Williams’ skittering pulse into a light bluesy funk, exquisitely and sensitively played on alto and electric guitar, but with the immediacy of the original replaced by a relaxed detachment.  Yes and/or No gets even more extreme treatment emerging as a slick mambo, with an array of Latin percussion keeping it all ticking over effortlessly.
The slow jazz waltz Iris and groove of Mahjong both retain their original feel with Benedict’s soprano emerging as distinctive voice on the latter’s captivating melody. On the other hand, Fall (from Miles’ 1967 Nefertiti) and the title track are transmogrified into a 6/8 Cuban and slinky funk respectively. Miyako and the closer, Infant Eyes, are played as slow and tender duos, with Askren on acoustic. The 1977 Weather Report stalwart Harlequin loses the synth layers and punchy tenor and electric bass, in favour of intricate alto dancing over busy Latin percussion.
So, was it worth the re-visit? Askren and Benedict are agile and adept arrangers and musicians, who clearly had a ball with this clever homage to their hero. I’d recommend this album for fans of smooth Latin and funky jazz, but I found their arrangements rather bloodless. In most cases, the raw essence and power of the originals were lost in the sleek West Coast treatment. Overall, I was left grateful for the reminder of Shorter’s remarkable history!
Chris Kilsby
Release date: 01.05.2020 Tapestry 76029-2
Format : CD / Digital available “online everywhere”

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