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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 ...

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.

Tue 13: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 13: Infusion Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 13: Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv.).

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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