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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 ...

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.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Jean Toussaint Quartet @ Sage Gateshead - Nov. 26

(© Pam)
Jean Toussaint (tenor sax); Jonathan Gee (piano); Mutale Chashi (bass/bass guitar); Ben Brown (drums).

This was almost the gig of the year - almost!  Every saxophone player on the planet should have been there, marvelling at the tone and technique of a jazz legend, and quite a few of them were there.

Toussaint blew up a storm. An updated version of what Hank Mobley, James Moody, Dexter Gordon and Harold Land were past masters at. An ace rhythm section with pianist Gee particularly outstanding added more class to the mix. Tremendous!

(© Pam)
However, the problem I faced was the gig's concept theme - Songs for Sisters, Brothers and Others - which didn't quite work for me laudable as the idea was.

Composed during lockdown, each piece represented one of his siblings - and there were a few - as well as a town in Spain. Unlike, for example, Ellington's Sophisticated Lady where the title says it all these compositions could have been applied to anyone. A few introductory words relating to the subject's personality would have made it easier for me to connect them to the music.

Nevertheless, that aside, they were good tunes anyway although the programming could have been better. To include a potentially showstopping extended drum solo on the second number in, seemed somewhat strange. This was a number to go out on with all guns blazing!

(© Pam)
Likewise, the only non-original piece, God Bless the Child, paid scant attention to the melody. Chashi switched over to electric bass and Brown played a jazz rock tempo. It was great, it was exciting but not quite what Billie Holiday had in mind when she made the original recording way back in 1941.

Still, overall, it was an enjoyable evening and I hope it won't be over ten years before he returns* Lance


*Jean Toussaint appeared at The Bridge on April 29, 2012.

2 comments :

internationalpartygirl said...

Great review Lance --- agree re the timing of the show-stopping drum solo and yes... what a difference it would have made just to have had a few words of the sibling's personalities!

shepherdlass said...

Great review Lance,but have got to say I loved that version of God Bless the Child. He definitely stated the original melody twice because I was (quietly) singing along, delighted by the funk feel.

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