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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

17502 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 776 of them this year alone and, so far, 14 this month (Nov. 5).

From This Moment On ...

November

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.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Sinatra @ Capitol: Part one

Frank Sinatra was, indisputably, the greatest ever purveyor of the Great American Songbook. From his early days with the bands of Harry James and Tommy Dorsey through to his latter years when, although the voice had lost some of the magic it once had, he could still get to the essence of a lyric. More so even than Ella who, via the series of songbooks she recorded for Norman Granz, never quite matched Sinatra on the emotional level.

However, from all of his many albums, none of them quite reached the standard of those he recorded for Capitol during the 1950s. This was the period when, in popular music terms, he wrote Shakespeare's sonnets, painted the Mona Lisa, composed Beethoven's Fifth and kayoed Rocky Marciano.

In the above collage I've highlighted  the first six of twelve of my favourites. The other six will follow in a second post.

Here they are in, approximately chronological order: 
Songs For Young Lovers began life as a 10" LP in 1953 and grew. The 12" version included four additional tracks. The arrangements were by Nelson Riddle who was to become a big part of  Sinatra's career. A Foggy Day

In the Wee Small Hours was originally issued in 1955 on two ten-inchers but, inevitably, they were eventually shoehorned onto a 12" LP and subsequently a CD. The first of Sinatra's many albums for losers and maybe the saddest and the finest. Nelson Riddle once again waves the baton. Last Night When We Were Young.

Songs For Swingin' Lovers was the one that did it for me. A lazy afternoon in 1956 listening to the radio over the RAF tannoy system and not paying much attention until the BBC presenter ('Auntie' had yet to recognise the term DJ) played a couple of tracks from this iconic album. Sinatra in top form - nobody could phrase a lyric like he did - Riddle's arrangements the best ever behind a singer. The template had been fashioned for every big band singer and arranger. You're Getting to be a Habit With Me.

This is Sinatra, whilst not a bad record - none recorded in this period of his career were, it does fall slightly below the standard of the others. Mainly because it comprises, in the main, of tracks that were originally released as singles aimed at the American Hit Parade, or were film related. There are, of course, exceptions and one in particular, South of the Border, is outstanding. The only Billy May arrangement on the album, it's interesting to compare his work with Riddle's who scores the other eleven. and I doubt that May could have made a silk purse out of a sow's ear the way that Riddle does with the inane Love and Marriage

Pal Joey may or not qualify for this listing as, being a movie soundtrack it isn't all Sinatra as Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak, or whoever ghosted their voices*, also have tracks on the album. However, Pal Joey is one of my favourite movies and the book by John O'Hara, which inspired the film is one of my favourite  books plus, on the tracks where he does sing, he's in great voice. Great scene in the film when he sings  There's a Small Hotel.
*Hayworth was dubbed by Joanne Greer and Novak by Trudy Erwin.

Close to You with, as almost always, Nelson Riddle leading the band or, should I say, conducting the orchestra? The Hollywood String Quartet provide the bulk of the support with no brass and very little woodwind. This isn't the swingin', ring-ding-ding Sinatra but a man getting to the core of the lyric. Just about every song is oozing with love and occasional pain. Home ground for Frank who had probably experienced both emotions more than most. Out of the twelve great numbers I've gone for Blame it on my Youth as an example. Tomorrow that could change ... Lance
PS: More to follow soon.

1 comment :

Steve T said...

For years the box set was just too expensive but I eventually picked one up in a supermarket for an affordable price. Having previously owned all of the albums available individually, and having a three CD set and Songs for Swinging Lovers, it remains sealed years later. I'm almost afraid to open it in case it disappoints in any way.

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