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Bebop Spoken There

Orrin Evans: “Now, getting a teaching spot is the new record deal”. (DownBeat, November, 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

17487 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far, 66 this month (Oct. 30).

From This Moment On ...

November

Tue 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval NE25 0AT. 12:30pm. £12.00. ‘Guy Fawkes Steak & Ale Pie & Pea Lunch’. To book tel: 0191 237 3697.
Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 06: The Horne Section’s Hit Show @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 07: Jazz Appreciation North East/Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘George - named musicians, vocalists & composers (Chisholm, Duke, Lewis, Shearing, Benson, Melly, Gershwin et al)’.
Thu 07: Aki Remally: The Gil Scott-Heron Songbook @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Remally (guitar, vocals); Fraser Urquhart (piano); Tom Wilkinson (bass); Max Popp (drums).
Thu 07: Rat Pack Live @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 07: Mo Scott @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. Guest band night with the new Pensacola Boulevard: Josh Bentham (trumpet!); Donna Hewitt (clarinet); Ron Smith (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Mark Hawkins (drums); Django ZaZou (trombone); Vicky Jackson (vocals).

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm.
Fri 08: TC & the Groove Family + Swannek + Knats @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 09: Moscow Drug Club @ Hamsterley Village Hall, Co. Durham DL13 3QF. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sat 09: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 10: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘second Sunday in the month’ residency.
Sun 10: Panharmonia @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £6.00.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Jude Murphy, Steve Chambers & Sid White @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Moscow Drug Club @ Lesbury Village Hall, nr. Alnwick NE66 3PP. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sun 10: SH#RP Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Tue 12: Matthew Forster Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.
Tue 12: Phil’s Elastic Band @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free, but ticketed, book online.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Friday, October 13, 2023

Album review: Simon Spillett Big Band - Dear Tubby H

Firstly, let's put this project into perspective. This isn't one of those Ray McVay plays Sid Lawrence plays Glenn Miller albums where the music is meticulously recreated as if Glenn had miraculously resurfaced from the English Channel. No, far from it.

Although this band of top-notchers are, in a sense, recreating the music of, arguably, the UK's greatest ever jazz musician, Tubby Hayes, Spillett hasn't rehashed numbers from Tubby's own big band albums such as Tubb's Tours and 100% Proof  but, after much research, concentrated on charts that were only played on TV and BBC radio broadcasts which were never released commercially and only heard on bootleg tapes ("Psst wanna buy a rare Tubby Hayes tape? Only one in in existence yours for a monkey").

Fortunately, Spillett managed to track down these rare charts via Ian Hamer and, with the support of Pete Cater and Mark Nightingale, the music came to life and can now be heard in what is probably the most swinging British big band since well, maybe time began.

Dear Johnny B, named after former Emcee Five drummer Johnny Butts who died so tragically young (25), had been recorded by Hayes' quartet but never by his big band. Kicked off by Cater's drums there's mind-blowing solos by Mayne on alto and Fishwick on trumpet. This is but track one, I don't know if my adrenalin can cope with another eleven!

As Close as You Are is more relaxing with a nice easy, Basie-like swing. Spillett blows cool with Gavita going with the flow. Some fine basswork by Dankworth. His dad would have approved.

Take Your Partners For the Blues brings in Barnes for some biting baritone followed by Bateman on 'bone. Fishwick and Hogg swap phrases - Garnett and Allen do likewise with the band riffing away behind them.

Fish Soup, an Ian Hamer original (they don't write originals like these anymore!), has Simon Allen, Gavita and Barron  putting their cards on the table - aces all.

Star Eyes, the only standard, is far removed from the usual ballad treatment given to this tune. Taken at a tempo verging on the speed limit it features Nightingale in full flight and what an arrangement!

Soft and Supple features Barnes, Gavita and Allen. I don't know who inspired the title but I'd love to have met her!

Rumpus lives up to its name. A crazy theme with Allen and Gavita giving it one and the band making Kenton sound like Guy Lombardo.

Peace, an arrangement by Tubby of a Horace Silver tune, features Fishwick and is dedicated by Spillett to his late partner Tina May. 

Seven Steps to Heaven by an old buddy of Tubby's - Victor Feldman - has Gavita, Garnett, Barron and Cater struttin' their stuff.

Solweig eventually, has the leader swapping his conductor's baton for some lyrical blowing on tenor - nice...

Blues For Pipkins, named after Tubbs' then partner Joy Marshall - Pipkin being her middle name. Fishwick, Nightingale and Barron do the honours.

She Insulted me in Marrakech. On an album of quirky titles this one is the quirkiest of them all! It's also the belter thanks to Pete Long, Gavita and Cater's punchy drumming.

Magnificent! Well done all and, of course, Tubby Hayes. Lance

CD available from Mister PC RecordsBandcamp. Album launch on Dec. 11 @ 229 venue, Great Portland St.

Simon Spillett (MD, tenor sax); Sammy Mayne, Pete Long (alto sax, flute); Alex Garnett, Simon Allen (tenor sax, clarinet); Alan Barnes (baritone sax, bass clarinet); Nathan Bray, George Hogg, Freddie Gavita, Steve Fishwick (trumpet, flugel); Jon Stokes, Mark Nightingale, Ian Bateman (trombone); Pete North (bass trombone); Rob Barron  (piano); Alec Dankworth (bass); Pete Cater (drums)

1 comment :

ritzbird said...

Great review, and bang on ! Incredible effort by Simon, Pete and Mark, not forgetting the other musicians in the band.

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