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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 2023).

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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

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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