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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Nick Hempton Band live streaming from GB's Juke Joint, NYC - Dec. 28

Nick Hempton (alto/tenor sax); Peter Bernstein (guitar); Kyle Koehler (Hammond B3); Fukushi Tainaka (drums)
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(Screenshots by Russell)

An absolute gem of a session. GB's Juke Joint isn't, as the name might imply, a neighbourhood bar populated by low-lifes and ne'er-do-wells but a New York recording studio where Nick Hempton recorded Night Owl - reviewed here last year -  and which provided some of the material played  tonight.

The opener, Back on the Dole Again, got things moving with a nice groove. All four guys at the top of their game. Interestingly, I always thought that being "on the dole" was a purely British expression. Whatever, certainly an appropriate title for today.

Cold Call again had that post bop feel to it. It is just so delightful to hear relatively straight ahead jazz as opposed to some of the sounds of today that sail under the J flag

On the album, It Shouldn't Happen to a Dream was played beautifully and that performance was matched tonight. On alto or tenor Hempton has the sound  and the technique to go with it as he proved on Short Shrift where his fingers danced on the keys like the feet of a latter-day Astaire. I particularly liked the half-time ending, a ploy that is seemingly forgotten these days but very effective when applied sparingly.

10th St. Turnaround, also from Night Owls, is a swinger. The title itself brings to mind Hamp's Central Avenue Breakdown. Hemp's tune is in that league. 

There can be few more versatile guitarists than Bernstein he can duke it out with the best in any style and tonight his jazz chops were exquisitely displayed.

The evening was rounded off with the title track of the album. Koehler, masked and hatted, looked cool but the fire that burst from the B3 was like Vesuvius erupting. Tainaka had been relatively laid-back but when the chips were down he too kicked ass.

The band have a new album out in the spring but, in the meantime, you'll not go far wrong with Night Owls.

Lance 

6 comments :

Patti said...

This was a real laidback barnstormer session - and didn't we do well to stay up late to watch it, streamed from GB's Juke Joint in Queens, NYC! Nick Hempton has a wonderful, fat tone on the tenor - it's a Conn 10M apparently, a vintage 1946 model - I think Coleman Hawkins favoured this one. The whole band sound was funky and grooving - a real treat - I'm going to get a copy of that Night Owl CD for sure.

Russell said...

And thanks to Roly Veitch who knows about these things, Peter Bernstein's beautiful guitar was made by luthier John Zeidler - - a rare and highly prized instrument.

Patti said...

Out of interest, I read more about Hawk's favourite saxes throughout his career - he played Conns mainly in the 1920's, but by the 40's he was playing the Selmer Balanced Action model, after he was presented with one by Selmer, on a visit to Paris in the 1930's. Maybe the Conn 10M that Nick played so beautifully was favoured by another sax titan of the period, Chu Berry - who also played tenor like 'an elephant in silk pyjamas' .......

Lance said...

I had a Selmer Balanced Action tenor which I "upgraded" for a Selmer Mark VII. The Balanced Action was the better instrument.

Rumour has it that Ronnie Scott was given a Mark VII by Selmer and he gave them it back preferring his Mark VI!

Nick said...

Chu even has a Conn model named after him! My hero on the 10M was Dexter Gordon. He played his until it was lost or stolen in the mid 60s. He switched to a Selmer Mkvi which I believe was bought for him by Ben Webster... Anyway I found mine in the basement of a New Jersey music store where it had lived for a VERY long time!

Patti said...

Ah - Hawkins, Chu, Dexter, and Ben Webster - all absolute monsters on the tenor ........

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