Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Victor Wooten: "People don't expect to have bass players get together and sound like music and not just like a bunch of elephants" (JazzTimes April, 2022)

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! --

Postage

14226 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 14 years ago. 445 of them this year alone and, so far, 45 this month (May 13).

From This Moment On ...

May.

Tue 17: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Four @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, North Tyneside. 1:00pm.
Thu 19: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 3:00-5:00pm. £1.00. All welcome.
Thu 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Thu 19: Maine Street Jazzmen @ Sunniside Social Club, Gateshead. 8:30pm.
Thu 19: 58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm. TBC.

Fri 20: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Vicari (piano), Andy Champion (double bass), Abbie Finn (drums).
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 20: Swing Bridge @ Garden House Coffee, Hallgate, Hexham. 4:05pm.
Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 20: Customs House Big Band w Ruth Lambert @ Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £12.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club. Vicari (piano), Andy Champion (double bass), Abbie Finn (drums).

Sat 21: Elkie Brooks @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sat 21: Jools Holland’s R & B Orchestra @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Sat 21: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Sun 22 Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon.
Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Foundry Jazz Ensemble @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 22: Abstract Orchestra plays J Dilla @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Sun 22: Panharmonia @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00 adv., £12.00. door.

Mon 23: Jazz in the Afternoon @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

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