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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, March 15, 2021

Ten Charlie Parker Moments by Dave Brownlow

1945 Now’s The Time: Bird’s first record session as a leader which also produced the groundbreaking Koko. Many of the jazz fraternity of a certain age can still sing or whistle (or even play) Charlie’s blues solo from memory. A defining moment in modern jazz.

1946  Lover Man: A harrowing, disturbing listen. A disc which Charlie said should never be released, recorded just before his mental and physical breakdown. The halting, eerie, haunting track has a stark beauty where Bird is guided through the tune by trumpeter Howard McGhee and Jimmy Bunn at the piano.

1949 Segment: The day before flying out to Europe for the Paris Jazz Festival, Bird recorded a not-well-known session with Kenny Dorham, Al Haig, Tommy Potter and Max Roach. He’s on great form, ideas bursting out with originality, excitement, anticipation and verve. A tricky composition not played again on any known ‘on-location’ session.

1950 Ornithology: Truly a never-before-or-since aggregation - a super group from the bop era. Bird, Fats Navarro, Bud Powell, Curly Russell and Art Blakey. What a contest – probably won by Bud on the night…

1952 Turnstile/Rocker: Ever trying new ideas, Charlie was enthusiastic about Gerry Mulligan’s compositions. He played both these pieces on a free-wheeling session at the Rockland Palace where he used both his bands - the Quintet and the Strings - to great effect. Gerry also penned the Strings Theme - a delightful jazz waltz Bird used at the beginning and end of most ‘With Strings’ sets.

1953 I Can’t Get Started: Accompanied beautifully by Kenny Clarke, Ray Brown and John Lewis, this is a gentle, pensive, beguiling, pleading Bird performance where it sounds as though he was trying to communicate with Chan Richardson - his partner at the time - with whom he had a turbulent relationship. An absolutely inspiring bass line from Ray propels the piece at just the right tempo.  

1953 Perdido:  From the famous Massey Hall concert with Diz, Bud, Max and Mingus. First time I heard this aged 17 I was hooked and still am! Such tone - even with the plastic alto - such authority, such command of the situation. Bud’s supportive comping, Max’s swing, Diz’s clowning and Mingus’s strong rhythmical drive complete the picture.

1953 I Remember You:  This comes from a blistering quartet session with Al Haig, Max, and Percy Heath on bass. A majestic solo follows the piercing theme showing some of Charlie’s frustration pouring out. Bird’s sound is strong, angry but fully controlled in a masterpiece performance thrown together at the session itself.

1981 To Bird With Love: A giant compendium of photos and text presented by Frenchman Francis Paudras from Chan Richardson’s archives of Bird material - family snaps, contracts letters, drawings, documents etc showing how life was with unpredictable Charlie
 (Paudras later ‘rescued’ Bud Powell for a time providing him with accommodation and a home-life in Paris later in his life).

Bird Flight: A radio programme broadcast daily by Parker authority Phil Schaap from station WKCR FM New York who over months and years has presented and discussed every single note played by Charlie in his life  captured on disc or tape. The most thorough analysis ever made and still available online.

Dave B.

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