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Bebop Spoken There

Raymond Chandler: “ I was walking the floor and listening to Khatchaturian working in a tractor factory. He called it a violin concerto. I called it a loose fan belt and the hell with it ". The Long Goodbye, Penguin 1959.

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

16350 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 230 of them this year alone and, so far, 27 this month (April 11).

From This Moment On ...

April

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer Café, Chillingham Road, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 18: Knats @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £8.00. + bf. Support act TBC.
Thu 18: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 18: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guest band night with Just Friends: Ian Bosworth (guitar); Donna Hewitt (sax); Dave Archbold (keys); Ron Smith (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums).

Fri 19: Cia Tomasso @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. ‘Cia Tomasso sings Billie Holiday’. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Radio Rooms, Berwick. 7:00pm (doors). £5.00.
Fri 19: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Levitation Orchestra + Nauta @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £11.00.
Fri 19: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. ‘Ella & Ellington’.

Sat 20: Record Store Day…at a store near you!
Sat 20: Bright Street Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. Swing dance taster session (6:30pm) followed by Bright Street Big Band (7:30pm). £12.00.
Sat 20: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Acoustic blues.
Sat 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ St Andrew’s Church, Monkseaton. 7:30pm. £10.00. (inc. a drink on arrival).

Sun 21: Jamie Toms Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Holy Grale, Durham. 5:00pm.
Sun 21: The Jazz Defenders @ Cluny 2. Doors 6:00pm. £15.00.
Sun 21: Edgar Rubenis @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues & ragtime guitar.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Art Themen with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. +bf. JNE. SOLD OUT!

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Vieux Carre Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30-3:30pm. £12.00. ‘St George’s Day Afternoon Tea’. Gig with ‘Lashings of Victoria Sponge Cake, along with sandwiches & scones’.
Tue 23: Jalen Ngonda @ Newcastle University Students’ Union. POSTPONED!

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Sinatra: Raw @ Darlington Hippodrome. 7:30pm. Richard Shelton.
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 24: Death Trap @ Theatre Royal, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Rambert Dance Co. Two pieces inc. Goat (inspired by the music of Nina Simone) with on-stage musicians.

Thursday, April 01, 2021

Album review: Down For The Count Concert Orchestra - at the cold stores

This isn't the rip-roaring swing band I remembered from a previous release. This is the Concert Orchestra which is a totally different ball game. How could it not be with all those strings augmenting the the saxes, brass and percussion? 

So what is the score?

Capitol Records. The iconic building in Los Angeles where so many classic recordings were made by Sinatra, Cole and Garland and where the wonderful arrangements by Nelson Riddle did so much to keep those singers' careers afloat. Musical director and producer Mike Paul-Smith has successfully tweaked them to suit the ensemble and to recreate that Capitol/Riddle sound whilst, at the same time, celebrating Nelson Riddle's centenary.

George Simmonds blows the famous trombone solo on I've Got You Under my Skin - to play the Riddle arrangement of the Cole Porter tune without the trombone solo would be akin to playing High Society without the Picou clarinet solo or failing to shout "Oh play that thing!" on Dippermouth Blues.

Apart from the trombone solo, Alex Western-King has a couple of tasty tenor choruses and Simon Joyner blows a trumpet solo on Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps. However, this is predominately a vocal album with all 13 tracks split between three very good singers who manage to retain a degree of identity without losing sight of the source.

Katie Birtill: The Man That Got Away; Secret Love; Day In, Day Out; Nature Boy.
Hannah Castleman: That Old Devil Called Love; Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps; When I Fall in Love; Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart.
Callum Gillies: Mona Lisa; More; Mr. Bojangles; I've Got You Under my Skin; Stardust.

It's an album that's well worth checking out if you're in an easy listening mood and haven't got the originals. Plus, if you're out and about in the Sloane Square area on June 6 you should drop by Cadogan Hall for the album launch. After hearing the whole shebang live, I gurantee you won't leave empty handed!
Lance

Release date is April 30 and there are two launch concerts at Cadogan Hall on June 6 for which tickets are now available from the venue.

Mike Paul-Smith (MD); Max Fagandini, Luke Davies, Simon Joyner (trumpets); George Simmonds (trombone/bass trombone); Katie Edwards (alto sax.clarinet); Alex Western-King (tenor sax/clarinet); Luke Pinkstone (tenor sax/clarinet/flute); Jamie Hone (baritone sax/clarinet); Alex Howgego (piano); Charlie Pyne (bass); Sam Ainslie (guitar); James Smith (drums); Dae Hyun Lee (percussion); Katie Birtill, Hannah Castleman, Callum Gillies (vocals) + City String Ensemble (12 strings).
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