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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. Line-up TBC.
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: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
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, July 24, 2020

Album review: Jazz Plus Ensemble - Collective

Jazz Plus Productions is/are Chris Jones and Charles Price. Followers of the award-winning Durham University Big Band will know their names from a couple of years ago. Since graduating from the Land of the Prince Bishops the boys have been busy making a name for themselves in the music business. The 'Collective' is aptly named as several members of the eighteen piece band just happen to be Durham University alumni. 

Seven tracks spanning approximately forty one minutes were recorded some twelve months ago in what seems like far off pre-Covid times. The audio quality is excellent, the musicianship (ensemble and solo) is of the highest order. Chris Jones composed and/or arranged all of the tracks and the solo contributions come from all sections of the band. 

Alto sax star Dan Garel features on the opening cut - Feel Alright Experiment - and Monkey Suit with its stately brass band intro, funk bass line, Matt Jacobs conjuring retro Hammond organ-like sounds and Ollie Farley's killer guitar chords. A few years ago at the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival a star vocalist emerged. Her name? Laura Paul. And here she is on this Jazz Plus recording! Singing in Portuguese on Esse Passaro Chamado Tempo (David Sear, trombone) and in English on Inhale Exhale (Matthew Sulzmann, soprano sax, David Sear, trombone), the award-winning vocalist simply confirms what we knew back then...Laura is a star!

Four Court Fish (comp. C. Jones) introduces tenor saxophonist Josephine Colter. Excellent, brooding tenor sax and organ, tight ensemble work, this is a stand out track on an album of stand out tracks. Impressive arrangements, frequently dynamic ensemble playing, incisive solos, the Jazz Plus Ensemble's debut recording is set to receive many plaudits and all of them will be fully deserved.    Russell     

Jazz Plus Ensemble: Daniel Garel, Matthew Sulzmann, John Somerton, Josephine Colter, Felicity Evans (saxophones); Noah Lawrence, Alexander Astbury, Joey Penaliggon, Alistair Martin (trumpets); David Sear, Chris Jones, Laura Piggford, Luke Bentley (trombones); Ollie Farley (guitar); Matthew Jacobs (piano); Jonathan Berry (bass guitar); Tristan Bacon (drums) 

Collective is available now as a download (MP3, FLAC etc.). Further details at www.jazzplus.org and Jazz Plus Productions' YouTube and Instagram TV pages.  

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