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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17346 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 630 of them this year alone and, so far, 35 this month (Sept. 11).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Jude Murphy, Steve Chambers & Sid White @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Panharmonia @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Swing Manouche @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: John Hallam with the James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert!

Tue 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £13.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Indian Summer Afternoon Tea’.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Album Review: Glenn Close & Ted Nash - Transformation

Ted Nash (composer, conductor, sop sax); Glenn Close (curator); Wayne Brady, Amy Irving, Matthew Stevenson, Eli Nash (spoken word); Wynton Marsalis (trumpet) + Members of the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra 

This album is a collection of spoken word and jazz on the theme of transformation, metamorphoses, big changes of all kinds, including the creation of life itself, the changes in the life of a transgender person, normal life after being in prison, changes for people of colour, the climate crisis. The readings are from the work of writers such as poet Ted Hughes.

The music illustrates the themes really well e.g.  for creation we have ambient chords and twisting 'wiggly' piano sounds to portray creatures. Then people are born, to a self confident, slinky, brassy tune and a swinging sax solo.

The transgender son reads out a letter to his father and the father accepts the changes with a happy, lively, piece which gradually gains speed. A woman comes out of prison to join the crowds, and the music trots along in rhythm, fine trumpet playing, followed by an impressive drum solo of very varied tones.

The angry black man speaks to the accompaniment of clapping sounds and a strong groove. He forgives those who've insulted him to the sound of cool, smooth jazz with hints of Porgy And Bess. The two final tracks remind us of the climate crisis and problems with the ozone layer, but leave us quietly to hope for solutions.

If this all sounds a bit 'heavy', yes it is, but I thought it was forgivably so, saved by the quality of the music, which has a freewheeling improvised quality, and also by the importance of the themes. Some of the readings didn't quite gel for me, for instance the changes in Derek, a prejudiced white man didn't sound quite genuine, but generally speaking I found this an enjoyable listen, but perhaps not suitable for everyone.

The album is available from May 7, 2021, both as a CD and digitally, on the Tiger Turn label.  

Ann Alex

Creation Part 1; Creation Part 11; Dear Dad/Letter; Dear Dad/Response; Preludes For Memnon; One Among Many; Rising Out Of Hatred; A Piece By The Angriest Black Man In America; Forgiveness; Wisdom Of The Humanities; Reaching The Tropopause

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