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Bebop Spoken There

Dee Dee Bridgewater: “ Our world is becoming a very ugly place with guns running rampant in this country... and New Orleans is called the murder capital of the world right now ". Jazzwise, May 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

16408 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 288 of them this year alone and, so far, 85 this month (April 30).

From This Moment On ...

May

Thu 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 09: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 09: Lewis Watson Quartet + Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble @ Laurel’s Theatre, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 09: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Dave Archbold (keys); Ron Smith (bass).

Fri 10: Michael Woods @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free. Country blues guitar & vocals. SOLD OUT!
Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Citrus @ The Head of Steam, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £11.25.
Fri 10: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ St Cuthbert’s, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Sat 11: Jeffrey Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 11: Alligator Gumbo @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm.
Sat 11: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Yarm Parish Church. 7:30pm.
Sat 11: Tom Remon & Laurence Harrison @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 12: GoGo Penguin @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). All standing gig.
Sun 12: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Downstairs. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 12: Satin Beige @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.50 + bf. Upstairs. R&B cello & vocals
Sun 12: Fergus McCreadie Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £19.80.
Sun 12: Schmid/Wheatley/Prévost + Signe Emmeluth @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 13: Emma Fisk & James Birkett @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £8.00.

Tue 14: ???

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

KSTV: Playback session - Michael Brecker's Tales from the Hudson - Mar. 20

(Screenshot by Russell)
Alec Harper (tenor sax); Nick Costley-White (guitar); Will Barry (piano); Will Sach (double bass); Jas Kayser (drums)

Michael Brecker's mid-nineties album Tales from the Hudson featuring some heavyweight sidemen, including Pat Metheny* and Dave Holland, put Kansas Smitty's regular tenor man Alec Harper firmly in the spotlight.

As is Osei Mensa's wont, KSTV's presenter had a bit of a preamble with this evening's principal, Harper. Osei wondered about Brecker's influence on other saxophonists. Harper suggested any horn player after Brecker couldn't be other than influenced in some way or another by the multi-Grammy award-winning American who died at in 2007 at the age of 57. 

Aiding and abetting Harper was an ace band (when isn't it at Kansas Smitty's?); Nick Costley-White a match for Mr P Metheny, Wills Barry (Joey Calderazzo) and Sach (Dave Holland), and the excellent Jas Kayser taking on the role of Jack DeJohnette.  

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)

Smitty's online guitar fans couldn't have been other than impressed with Nick Costley-White playing Metheny, a great player is NCW, as he ably demonstrated on the American guitar hero's Song for Bilbao. Will Sach's fine bass solo introduced African Skies, Harper and band picking up on the groove with our Brecker man shooting for the stars. Phew! Stepping back from the mic, Will Barry countered with a blinding solo of his own, the group sound decaying into silence. Superb! 

Brecker's Naked Soul temporarily took it down before this ace band went out on Brecker's startling blues Cabin Fever
(Collage by Ken Drew)
. The furious tempo pushed all five musicians to breaking point - Barry soloing like a demon, Sach swinging, Kayser riding on a cymbal, Harper barging in to make it a tenor sax-drums fist-fight, Sach back in the game throwing punches, Barry comping, Harper all guns blazing, eventually pausing for breath, leaving it to NCW to maintain the momentum until Jas K's obligatory (marvellous) solo. Another winner from Kansas Smitty's!    
* Tomorrow night's live stream from Ronnie Scott's presents the music of Pat Metheny, log on at eight for Big Band Metheny.  

 Russell

Slings and ArrowsMidnight VoyageSong for BilbaoBeau RivageAfrican SkiesNaked SoulCabin Fever

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