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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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

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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