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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15848 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 855 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Sept. 18).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tanfield Railway, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. A '1940s Weekend' event.
Sat 23: Jason Isaacs @ Stack, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 23: Andrew Porritt & Keith Barrett @ Cullercoats Watch House, Front St., Cullercoats NE30 4QB. 7:00pm.
Sat 23: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Country blues.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Album Review: Kathleen Grace with Larry Goldings – Tie Me To You

The latest recording from this Los Angeles based singer/songwriter, whilst firmly rooted in the jazz tradition, also takes in elements of blues, folk, and pop. Ms Grace, originally from Tuscon, Arizona, has performed internationally as well as in America.
The music on Tie Me to You arose out of changes to her life when she ended her marriage, began another relationship and re-assessed her identity.

The album was recorded as simply as possible without elaborate arrangements and some songs were done in single takes. Larry Goldings has been Grammy-nominated and has worked with James Taylor and Norah Jones. The other musicians are also well experienced: Piltch has worked with KD Lang, and jazz bassist Oleszkiewicz has played with Pat Metheny.

The CD covers a wide range of music: three originals, four standards, a blues, a Beatles’ song and a cabaret type number. Ms Grace uses her voice appropriately for the material: the title track is a slow sweet-voiced song, quite a folky tune, simple and direct, with the violin adding to the mix. Where or When is sung in contrasting style, in a conversational voice, to flowing accompaniment from Goldings on, I think, the tuneful glockenspiel. Everywhere, an original, has a country feel.

My favourite track was John The Revelator, a blues sung to a light drum beat from somewhere, although no drums are listed in the information. Berceuse is cabaret, The Thrill Is Gone,  a sensitive ballad and Embarcardero,  a tango, a love song which compares a love affair to the sea. Love for Sale is low key, sad and quiet; What'll I Do? is a ballad with a skilled piano solo. The album is rounded off with a happy Beatles song, Follow the Sun, just sweet voice and piano.   

Most of the songs were done at a slow pace and I would have welcomed a bit more liveliness on some numbers. For example it would have been good to end a bit more jubilantly on the Beatles song. Enjoyable on the whole.
Ann Alex

The CD is currently available in stores and online (Monsoon Records).

Kathleen Grace (voice, guitar); Larry Goldings (piano, keyboards, organ, pocket piano, glockenspiel); David Piltch (bass, tracks 1,3,4,5,8,10); Gabe Witcher (violin, tracks 1,3,7,8); Darek Oleszkiewicz (bass track 7).

Tie Me To You; Where or When; Everywhere; John The Revelator; Berceuse (Valsa Para Uma Menininha); The Thrill Is Gone;Embarcardero; Love for Sale; What'll I Do? I'll Follow The Sun

2 comments :

Patti said...

I might even check this one out - I'm intrigued by the thought of this take on John the Revelator - the sound of this singer's voice, with a 'light drum beat' ......... when you consider the mind blowing impact of the original recordings, by Son House and Blind Willie Johnston.

Ann Alexander said...

Yes Patti, I've heard 'stronger' recordings of this song which I love. Local group the Hokum Hotshots do this rather well with Pete Mason singing.

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