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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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

June

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.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Monday, May 24, 2021

Dean Stockdale Trio live @ the Globe - May 23

Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

The first live jazz gig at the Globe this year was a well-deserved sell out. However, it was noted that the online viewers were down so it could be a win some you lose some situation. Not your usual one hour livestream but 2 x 45 minute sets that maybe overran.

Not that I'm complaining although it did present me with a problem - a bus to catch, a cat to feed and a review to write. This meant I missed the last couple of numbers although, no doubt they will be made known to me by my worthy constituent Russell before the night is o'er. 

Now, ordinarily, I'm the guy who groans when the word original is announced. Usually because they aren't original or else,  because they are, unfortunately, original!

Tonight, however, was the exception that proved the rule as, mixed in with the standards were some of Dean's own compositions from his recently released album - Promise the Moon.

First Light was absolutely compelling. Floating delicately over a 3/4 rhythm with some piano/bass fugue-like passages it brought to mind those old Jacques Loussier recordings and there wasn't a cigar in sight apart from the traditional award for a winning performance. All three deserved a case of Havana's finest (theoretically speaking that is as I doubt if they would thank you for such a prize but you know what I mean!)

Mia's Lullaby was composed by Dean with his partner's daughter in mind and this sensitive piece I'm sure had everyone sighing and saying "aaah" mentally, if not audibly. I certainly was although maybe I'm just an old sentimentalist...

Needless to say, the standards, almost broached upon the definitive apart from the arrangement of They Can't Take That Away From Me which didn't quite work for me. One that did work was In a Sentimental Mood even though I quivered when I saw that the drum part alone covered four pages. My misgivings were soon dispelled. Done over a soft Latin rhythm it was as good a version of my favourite Ellington tune as I've heard in many a long year.

Earlier we'd had Witchcraft; Like Someone in Love; On the Sunny Side of the Street; Moon River and a super swingy version of It Could Happen to You.

Credit to all three although Abbie's drums tended to be a bit overpowering at first but that could have been due to me having been away from live gigs for so long that it took my ears time to adjust to the difference between a livestream where you can control the volume as opposed to a gig where you can't. It all evened itself out so no complaints.

Mick Shoulder soloed and supported and some of his solos tonight were near enough as good as it gets. If he's good enough for Dean Stockdale then ...

Great gig, I didn't miss my bus but I did miss Kelly's Blues and Hymn to Freedom (both Oscar Peterson numbers) and the inevitable encore which, on this occasion, was Joy Spring.

Talking of encores, when the crowd are baying "More, More" it all always makes me think of the Romans feeding the Christians and runaway slaves to the the lions (damnatio ad bestias) and, after they'd ran out of slaves and Christians, the spettori would yell out "più, più".
Lance

2 comments :

DJM said...

Ha ha Piu più più !!! Nice review!

Brian shine said...

It was great to be back at a live jazz gig and to see so many faces I know, Dean Stockdale trio did the first jazz gig justice with some wonderful ballads, well played.

BRIAN SHINE

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