Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Friday, May 01, 2020

Tonight's Blue Note: Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue

Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Major Holley Jr. (bass); Bill English (drums); Ray Barretto (conga).

As the title implies, this isn't a funky soul based album although  there is soul-a-plenty on all 7 tracks. 

No, this is an album steeped in the blues. Not the "I woke up this mornin'" variety but the more sophisticated 12 bar form that has been at the root of all jazz from Bunk to funk. It's laid back, restrained, well-tempered music that sits as well in the early hours as does any late night Sinatra album. 

Burrell is the epicentre of taste - not as earthy as Grant Green but maybe harmonically more profound. I'll leave it to our guitar gurus to decide on that one.


Turrentine is equally laid back in comparison to some of his other Blue Notes. Here he is as smooth as Ben Webster on a ballad. Major Holley (Mule) was, for a few years in the mid-fifties, on the British scene and he composed the track bearing his nickname.

If you are in the fortunate position of having a book of verses, a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and a thou to hand,..use your loaf and exchange it and the book for a copy of Midnight Blue, turn the lights down low, pour a couple of shots from the jug, put the player on repeat and this will be one album you'll never forget. Having said that, even without the aforementioned malarkey from The Rubaiyat, it's still a great album.
Lance.
Listen.
Chitlins Con Carne; Mule; Soul Lamment; Midnight Blue; Wavy Gravy; Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You; Saturday Night Blues.

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Have to say, (in my opinion) jazz guitar in a 'straight ahead' sense, apart from some obvious exceptions (Wes, early Benson etc) has generally always been overshadowed by the jazz of horn players, piano players etc in terms of instrumental proficiency and compositional output - this does not necessarily include fusion and gypsy jazz guitar though; but at least in terms of the quality of music produced, the best jazz generally doesn't have guitar featured e.g Wayne Shorter , Coltrane (Kenny Burrell plays on one album), Miles unplugged (not including the fusion era as part of the argumeng/point/whatever this is! )
The past 30-40 (?) odd years or so, are probably the most interesting for the guitar in jazz, partly because of advances in sound or more guitar players properly emulating the aesthetics of horn or piano language on the instrument; nowadays more of the 'best' jazz has a guitar featured, often as well as a piano.
Interestingly, it seems that a chunk of the guitar payers who are currently finding a new voice on the instrument seem to take less influence from guitar players.
I can say all this with no vibe- I'm a guitar player :( Would be interested to hear what other guitar players / musicians in general think about this..

Blog Archive