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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

17328 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 612 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (Sept. 5).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ BAA Fest, Brownrigg Lodges, Bellingham. 2:40pm.
Sun 08: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 08: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: ???

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.

Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.

Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.

Thursday, June 30, 2022

Album Review: Vicki Burns – Lotus Blossom Days

Vicki Burns (vocals); Art Hirahara (piano); Sam Bevan (bass/arr.); Billy Drummond (drums); Dayna Stephens (tenor/bari sax tks 3, 4, 12); Josh Deutsch (trumpet tks 1, 2, 9); Mas Koga (flute/bari sax tk 2); Nick Vayenas (trombone tks 1, 9)

An album from yet another very good jazz songstress who is accompanied by instrumentalists who are well on the money. This poses the reviewer, with the problem of what to say that is original. I must do it otherwise the Editor-In-Chief will sack me! Help!

Vicki Burns deserves better than the title of songstress. This lady has a pleasing wide-ranging voice, crystal clear diction, and she knows how to sing as if she means it, notably on the alluring Love Spell and on Coltrane's Equinox, where the vocal tones suggest a darker side to love. She duets with the bass on a couple of the tracks, actually singing the same notes wordlessly, which adds interest to scat.

Ms Burns hails from Maine USA, knew from childhood that she wanted to be a singer and, after studying music at New Hampshire University, soon became involved in jazz, singing in clubs in Boston, New York City and the San Francisco area. At present she performs in NYC and also teaches. This is her third album as leader.

The album is made up of three originals, Love Spell; Siren Song; You Don't Have to Believe; three standards; and six songs that began life as instrumentals. The songs chronicle the arc of a love affair, from seduction, through the bitter sweetness of a failing relationship, to a wider view of love, life and happiness. Quite a tall order for an album, but this just about manages the task, with skilled piano solos to add to the mix, and some interesting brass and sax input on some tracks.

Notable numbers include two deliciously decadent Strayhorn songs, and I quote lyrics from Bittersweet  'a string of promises tied in a knot of lies' (Roger Schore). Then we have You Don’t Have to Believe, flamenco style, a keys and drums duet and a lone trumpet to finish. Ms Burns’ Siren Song is sung as if she is the daughter of the siren, very original. The album is rounded off with a satisfactory love affair in the shape of the Arlen/Mercer song Out of This World, which allows our singer to display the higher part of her range.

The album is available everywhere from July 8. See HERE. Ann Alex

If You Never Fall in Love With Me/Del Sasser; Close Your Eyes; Love Spell; Lotus Blossom Days; Bittersweet; Watch Out/The Sidewinder; A Long Way to go/Equinox; It's Over Now/Well You Needn't; You Don't Have to Believe; This Time the Dream's on me ; Siren Song; Out of This World

4 comments :

Vicki Burns said...

Thank you VERY much for the review, Lance!!

All The Best,
Vicki Burns
www.vickiburnsjazz.com

Lance said...

Don't thank me Vicki - I just provided the nuts and bolts. Thanks must go to Ann Alex who provided the words!

Vicki Burns said...

Well then! Thank you SO much Ann Alex! Your review is much appreciated!

Marty Elkins said...

Congratulations on this great review. Can't wait to get my hot hands on this! (On F/b)

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