Total Pageviews

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.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

KSTV: Playback session, "Louis Armstrong & Sidney Bechet" - March 25

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
Giacomo Smith (soprano sax/clarinet); Pete Horsfall (trumpet/vocal); Dan Higham (trombone); Joe Webb (piano); Dave Archer (guitar).

He's back! Giacomo was given a rapturous welcome by the sidebar pundits after his lengthy sojourn in Saratoga. It was fully deserved.

(Screenshot by Lance)
The wonderful thing about Smitty's is that they can be playing Weather Report one night, Monk on another night, then, such as tonight, Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet.

Armstrong and Bechet didn't record together very often, their musical personalities were too individualistic to make for happy bedfellows. As Giacomo pointed out, at times the battle to assert themselves sometimes cancelled each other out but when it didn't they produced fireworks and those fireworks were reproduced tonight.

(Screenshot by Lance)
Cake Walking Babies From Home got things off to a flying start although the sound was a bit echoish initially. Strangely, the first time I heard this number it was by the late John Saxelby with Clem Avery's band at the New Orleans Club in Newcastle. It was only later that I actually heard it by Bechet (on record). Tonight wasn't competitive, just five guys doing what they enjoy doing and doing it well. 

I'm a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird - they don't don't come up with song titles like that anymore - a lovely tune. Giacomo has certainly mastered the infamous (you either love it or hate it!) Bechet vibrato!

Giacomo switched to clarinet for the next couple: Perdido Street Blues and Squeeze me. I much prefer Squeeze me to Ellington's Just Squeeze me although they are both good tunes.

(Screenshot by Lance)
All five musicians were on form tonight, Pete complained of his lip not being in - it sounded well in to me! That's the thing about playing an instrument, the audience may be going wild but only the player knows if he's firing on all cylinders. Dan Higham slotted in nicely leaning more towards Teagarden than Ory and Dave Archer laid down the solid rhythm that a band without bass and drums needs.
(Screenshot by Lance)

Joe Webb was magic, as always, and his duet with Giacomo on Runnin' Wild was something else - it was well titled!

Other numbers were Kansas City Man Blues, Down in Honkytonk Town, Wildcat Blues and Everybody Loves my Baby. Pete took the vocal on the latter number - sounded good.

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
Giacomo looked happy to be back - one thing is sure, he left the store in good hands. Just about everyone who played there in his absence is now a (jazz) household name!

Lance

No comments :

Blog Archive