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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

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.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

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.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. 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.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Thursday, June 03, 2021

Album review: Nigel Price Organ Trio - Wes Reimagined

Hearing Nigel Price live is a thrilling experience, listening to a recording of the award-winning guitarist is the next best thing. If you're familiar with Price's work, the title of his latest album, Wes Reimagined, will be self-explanatory. Wes Montgomery is something of a hero to our man and this new release on Ubuntu Music will find favour with fans of jazz guitar, particularly in the classic organ trio format.

Price is noted for his dogged determination to tour come what may - pandemic, what pandemic? - and with an album's worth of material ready and waiting to be laid down, two days in early September last year were booked at London's Fish Factory recording studio. Percussion overdubs followed at the end of the month and three weeks into October Callum Au's string arrangements were dubbed by the Phonograph Effect Strings*

Ten tracks, all written by Montgomery except Monk's Shop (composed by bassist brother Monk Montgomery) and Lerner and Lowe's I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face will demand fifty nine minutes and fifty eight seconds of your time and every second is worthy of your attention. Price is in the 'A-list' category and when it comes to his band, all are in the same bracket. Ross Stanley is a 'first call' exponent of the B3, and drummer Joel Barford may be a new name to some, but once heard, he too, is to be considered a premier league operator. The horns on Wes Reimagined are regular collaborators - straight ahead tenor star Vasilis Xenopoulos and alto maestro Tony Kofi. When these guys solo, it's the business and, what's more, they make it look and sound so easy! Checkout any of Xenopoulos' solo contributions, not least on Road Song, a track which showcases Barford's technical prowess. On other tracks Barford handles shuffles (be they of the Texas or New Orleans school!), locked-in funk patterns, delicate brushwork, the lot. 

Tony Kofi is equally adept on any horn he chooses to pick up. On this new Ubuntu album, it's alto sax, and whatever he plays it always sounds just right. Alto and tenor don't enter into a slug-fest, it isn't that kind of session. Rather, they play exactly what is required, making the mainly quintet recording (Snowboy and Au augment on occasion) a masterclass in small group, grooving, hard-driving, swinging jazz. 

If there is an oddity on Wes Reimagined it's the Lerner-Lowe closing number, I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face. The odd-one-out, perhaps, but only in that Price and Stanley's reflective treatment (underpinned by the Phonograph Effect Strings) offers a welcome contrast to the rest of the album's high-octane material.           

Cariba!LeilaJinglesFar WesSo Do It!Movin' AlongMonk's ShopRoad Song; Twisted BluesI've Grown Accustomed to Her Face

Wes Reimagined by the Nigel Price Organ Trio is available in CD, vinyl and digital formats on Ubutu Music (cat no. UBU0080).
  
Kay Stephen and Chris Terepin founded Phonograph Effect in April 2020 supplying string section parts on demand to a wide range of artists (www.phonographeffect.com).         

Nigel Price (guitar); Ross Stanley (Hammond B3); Joel Barford (drums); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax); Tony Kofi (alto sax); Snowboy (congas, bongos, surdo, shekere, whistle); Callum Au (string arrangements, trombone) + Phonograph Effect Strings: Kay Stephen (violin 1); Anna Brigham (violin 2); Elitsa Bogdanova (viola); Chris Terepin (cello)

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