Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Album review: The Mark Masters Ensemble - Night Talk: The Alec Wilder Songbook featuring Gary Smulyan

Alec Wilder is sometimes overlooked when the average Joe/Jo list their favourite composers. Gershwin, Kern, Berlin etc. roll easily off the tongue. Wilder doesn't, even though he was well admired by such as Sinatra, Bennett, Lee and others. Possibly because his popular song output was interspersed with operas, symphonies and other classical works. In fact, if you were to ask me to name three of his best known songs, I'd be struggling after While We're Young and I'll Be Around - two songs that can hold their own against the complete works of any other composer.

Only the latter song is included in this, and I use the word advisedly, masterful album which is worthy of more stars than there are in the Galaxy.


Leader, arranger, producer, chief cook and bottle washer Masters has crafted nine tremendous settings reminiscent of the work of such creative minds as Marty Paich, Bill Russo, Gil Evans  and, say,  Gerry Mulligan - Masters is in that league or maybe I should rephrase that and say that they are in his league!

Mentioning Mulligan is apt as, just as Gerry was the defining modern jazz voice on baritone back in the 1950/60s,  so is Gary Smulyan the voice of the big horn today. Big sound, not as big as Harry Carney's but close and faster, more modern.

Yes Smulyan is tops but, there are other horn-players who run him close - no need to mention names, they are listed in the album's personnel details.

I wonder what Wilder would have made of  the uptempo version of I'll Be Around?

After hearing Peggy Lee singing While We're Young he sent her a note saying that the next time she sang it, when she came to the bridge, she should jump off it! Maybe he may have said the same to Mark Masters? Maybe not - to my ears it works beautifully.

If I don't hear a better album this year I'll not complain - virus? What virus?
Lance.


You're Free; Don't Deny; Ellen; Moon and Sand; Baggage Room Blues; I Like it Here; Night Talk; Lovers and Losers; I'll be Around.

Gary Smulyan (baritone sax); Bob Summers (trumpet); Don Shelton (alto sax/alto flute); Jerry Pinter (tenor sax/soprano sax); Dave Woodley (trombone); Ed Czach (piano); Putter Smith (bass); Kendall Kay (drums); Mark Masters (MD/arranger).
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive