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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. POSTPONED!
Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two.
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

Monday, December 07, 2020

Billie Holiday: A Concert Celebration live streaming from Y92, NYC - Dec. 6

Catherine Russell (vocals); Veronica Swift (vocals); Tivon Pennicott (tenor sax); Emmet Cohen (piano); Yasushi Nakamura (double bass); Kyle Poole (drums)

Located on 92nd St, NYC, Y92 has been hosting cultural events for something like 145 years. This New York live stream was actually recorded on November 21. Two weeks later, no doubt following considerable promotion, it finally became available to view, fifteen bucks, to you. Billie Holiday: A Concert Celebration featured stellar names, it couldn't be anything other than good ...
A cavernous, exposed brick performance space, Y92 would, one imagines, in pre-pandemic times, be filled to the rafters. The now familiar sight, and sound, of musicians playing to, and looking down, a camera lens, is how it was for this celebration of Billie Holiday. The Emmet Cohen Trio, as good a piano trio you'll find anywhere, augmented by tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, provided impeccable support to the two star vocalists paying tribute to Lady Day. 

Catherine Russell, daughter of famed bandleader Luis Russell, emerged from the wings to sing the first of the evening's numbers - Time On My Hands. Yes, this was good alright. I Wished on the Moon introduced tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott supporting Ms Russell. The one time tenor player with Gregory Porter didn't seek to emulate Lester Young, he is his own man, a fine player. Fine and Mellow took it down, bluesy tenor accompanying our vocalist. 

Time to introduce Ms Veronica Swift. Our vocalists exchanged compliments as they went into Ain't Nobody's Business. Great stuff! It helps to have an ace 'backing band' in the shape of Cohen, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Kyle Poole! The collective cv spoke volumes - Berklee, Juilliard, NYC first callers, international festival appearances, major concert hall touring musicians etc. 

Ms Russell exited stage right. Ms Swift remained on stage to sing a spellbinding You Go to My Head accompanied by Pennicott's exquisite tenor saxophone playing. More from Swift - If You Were MineDid I Remember? and a sensational Ella-like scat chorus on What a Little Moonlight Can Do (Kyle Poole's brushes on an uptempo round of fours, Pennicott effortlessly referencing the great tenor players!). 

Our vocalists momentarily left the stage to Pennicott and the trio to play Lover Man with Cohen inventively incorporating McCoy Tyner-esque chords - most impressive! Catherine Russell returned once more to sing God Bless the Child accompanied by Cohen. The evening drew to a close in an entirely unexpected way. The musicians' work done, an image of Billie Holiday filled the screen. We were left listening to Billie singing Strange Fruit.    
Russell

1 comment :

Ron Ainsborough said...

Only saw and heard of Veronica Swift about a month ago whilst checking YouTube featuring Emmet Cohen. I have obviously led a very sheltered life to not have them under my jazz radar.
Emmet Cohen I find to be sensational ,likewise Veronica Swift. Great voice and scat singer of the highest standard . Checked out two Emmet Cohen with Veronica Swift sessions in Emmets house in NY.. each over one hour in duration which I found mesmerising.. What more can I say other than you won't see any better jazz. Obviously this is my personal view but feel so lucky to have seen them. Will they be at the Sage one day I wonder.
Ron Ainsborough

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