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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

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

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.

Friday, January 29, 2021

Album review: Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine - Mazel Tov Kocktail!

Big bands come and go and some stay. Locally, The Customs House Big Band, Strictly Smokin' Big Band, The Gala Big Band and Musicians Unlimited have achieved varying degrees of longevity curtailed only by the occasional pandemic.

Down in Southern California the Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine have been swinging since 1979. Liss, whose CV includes playing baritone sax with such luminaries as Rob McConnell, Louis Bellson and Thad Jones, initially formed the band purely as a vehicle for his students to get their chops together.

They certainly did that and soon they were playing in public before, becoming a community band and, eventually, a full-time pro band.

By 1994, Liss had stopped playing and taken on the role of musical director. It was also the year the band made its first recording.
 
More recordings followed and this is their sixth, celebrating the 40 plus years since it was formed.

Six, mainly original, instrumentals and six vocal covers by Janet Hammer and Carly Ines. Carly, who's also in the trombone section, sings Chick Corea's High Wire, Love You Madly and Joy Spring. Janet lends her vocal chords to You'd Better Love Me While You May, I Wish You Love and Where or When. Both singers are the real deal.

There's a host of fine soloists both from within the band and from the imported guns. In the latter category Greg Armstrong is active on flute and tenor. Tyler Richardson blows alto, Melanie Medina plays some funky guitar on Springtime and April Leslie gives us some rollicking klezmer clarinet on the title track. Castel Del Oro takes the tenor solo  on High Wire,  David Barnard takes a trombone solo on one of the vocals whilst keyboard capers are in the hands of Steve Sibley on piano. The solo trumpet chores - whenever have I used a term so inappropriately? - are performed by Mark Nicholson and Jeff Beck - listen to Beck on Joy Spring. No piccolo players required today.

The presence of Mike Vax on Gimme That didn't faze them one little bit even though Vax was at the top of his game.  Gimme That was written by Andrew Neu  who takes the tenor solo. Matt DiBiase on vibes has his say on a couple and Nathan East is featured on Bass:The Final Frontier which was composed and arranged by Dan Radlauer who also played accordion on another of his compositions Mazel Tov Kocktail.

There is so much more I could write about this album but, with another 20 albums
knocking on the door time and tide etc....
Lance


(Collective personnel): Tyler Richardson, Josh Smitley, Greg Armstrong, Nicholas Hoo, April Leslie, Malcolm Jones, David Castel De Oro (saxes); Randy Aviles, Mark Nicholson, Jeff Beck, Jack Houghton (trumpets); Gary Bucher, Carly Ines, David Barnard, Tim Hall (trombones); Steve Sibley (piano); Lance Jeppeson (bass); Charlie Styx McGhee (drums); Melanie Medina, Robert Cartwright (guitars); Noah Ines (perc.); Janet Hammer, Carly Ines (vocals) + Nathan East (electric bass); Andrew Neu (tenor sax); Dan Radlauer (accordion); Mike Vax (trumpet); Matt DiBiase (vibes).

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