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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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

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).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Wednesday, October 07, 2020

CD Review: Clifton Davis with The Beegie Adair Trio – Never Can Say Goodbye

I'll simply quote from the promotional material sent with the CD "The album is lush and romantic, burnished by Davis' smooth, warm voice and Adair's laid back, virtuosic piano playing. String arrangements add to the music's dreamy sonority."

That is all so true and enjoyable and I'd put the music in the category of 'middle of the road', very fine if that is to your taste. I prefer music with rather more 'bite'. The nearest it comes to jazz is in the very competent piano solos and the very effective bass solo on Too Marvellous. Davis is a skilled singer with a warm-toned voice but he uses little improvisation, so maybe he isn't a jazz singer, although that term is open to interpretation.

The album comprises three of Davis' own songs, a song by Adair and eight standards. Five of the tunes have a pleasant Latin feel and the most interesting song is the final track Leaving It Up To You. I expected this to be a love song, but it is a song about the will of God. Davis is a minister of religion, who always includes one song about God on his albums. Somewhere in the Hills also caught my attention especially, as it had a strong Samba beat with lively rhythmical percussion.

Davis is also a TV actor who has starred on Broadway, and he wrote the well-known pop song Never Can Say Goodbye (track 2). He has been in show business for most of his working life. For instance he played the Sultan in Aladdin on Broadway and he performed for 16 months in the National Broadway Tour of the musical Wicked.

The Beegie Adair trio has sold 2 million albums and has performed internationally. Davis met Adair in 2015 and they decided to collaborate on this album. Adair solos on piano on each track.

The album is available from www.cliftondavis.com 

Ann Alex

Clifton Davis (vocals); Beegie Adair (piano); Roger Spencer( trio arrangements, bass); Chris Brown (drums); Monica Ramey (vocals 1 track); Jeff Taylor (accordion); Mark Kibble (backing vocals and arrangements); Take 6 (backing vocals 1 track); Kevin Toney (synth, strings and arrangements); Charles Mims (string arrangements, synth, sweetening); plus string players and arrangers

I've Never Been In Love Before; Never Can Say Goodbye; Two For The Road; Swept Away: The Folks Who Live On The Hill; Too Marvellous; So Many Stars; Comecar De Novo; Somewhere In The Hills; Teach Me Tonight; Minha Alma; Leaving It Up To You

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