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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Friday, August 07, 2020

Emma Smith's A Portrait of Ella @ Ronnie Scott's - August 6

Emma Smith (vocals); Jamie Safir (piano); Conor Chaplin (double bass); Luke Tomlinson (drums)

Live streaming of indoor performance continues apace pending further government announcements. It is possible indoor gigs will resume a week tomorrow (Saturday 15), we shall see. Ronnie Scott's live streams, as one would expect, have been of the highest quality, ranging from the house trio led by James Pearson to Ronnie's regulars Liane Carroll and Ian Shaw to last night's quartet, Emma Smith's Ella Fitzgerald revue.  


Emma Smith is a life-long fan of Ella - who isn't?! - and this live stream attracted hundreds of listeners/viewers from around the world. The band - Jamie Safir, piano (superb, swinging piano playing), Conor Chaplin, bass (great sound, in demand across the spectrum) and drummer Luke Tomlinson (young, supremely talented) - swung non-stop on a veritable treasure trove of GASbook gems. 

An Ella medley centred round A-Tisket, A-Tasket set the standard. Four young musicians, each of them possessing more than their fair share of chops,  this was great to see and hear. Ms Smith referred to Ella's live album recorded in 1974 on the very stage she was standing. Ella in London on the Pablo label (Ella, Joe Pass, Keter Betts and Bobby Durham, is, to this day, often on your reviewer's turntable) inspired Smith and, indeed, more than one selection from the album made this live stream set.

Smith's assured vocals were quite something, at times recalling Cleo Laine, Sarah Vaughan and the recently departed Annie Ross. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye, Ray Noble's The Very Thought of You (Jamie Safir noting he'd recently discovered the composer studied at the Royal College of Music just as he and Emma did, although Mr Noble's student days were back in the late 1920s!), Cheek to Cheek, a cuplet, Makin' Whoopie and a swinging original titled Monogamy Blues, this was a well-paced set with plenty of space for the boys to demonstrate their undoubted abilities as soloists. 

One Note Samba may well be rooted on one note but, good musicians as they are, the quartet did a lot with it! Safir and Tomlinson departed the stage as Smith sidled up to Conor (they're from the same household 'bubble') to put their stamp on Satin Doll. Smith and her band's interpretation of the Ella Songbook didn't take liberties (how dare they/anyone?!) yet their twenty first century lived experience brought something fresh to the tunes and all the better for it.

As the one hour plus live stream neared its end Emma did Ella proud with a breakneck take - à la Ella - on How High the Moon? Ella could sing, that's a statement of the bleedin' obvious, and on the evidence of this performance at Ronnie Scott's, Emma Smith is one of the finest singers of our times.      
Russell

1 comment :

Jen said...

Yes I agree with Russell that this was a superb show. Performances by all musicians was top notch but particularly Emma and Jamie. Also the sound and video was excellent - their technicians must be working with expensive technology! No problems whatsoever were apparent to the listener.

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