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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

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.

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.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Wynton Marsalis & the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra @ The Sage, Gateshead.

Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Printup, Kenny Rampton, Ryan Kisor (tpts). Chris Crenshaw, Vincent Gardner, Elliot Mason (tmbs). Victor Goines (ten/clt), Ted Nash (alt/clt/fl), Walter Blanding (ten/clt), Sherman Irby (alt/clt), Joe Temperley (bar/bass clt). Carlos Henriquez (bs). Ali Jackson (dms). Dan Nimmer (pno).
There was a buzz of anticipation in the bar area of Hall One as the pre-concert audience fortified themselves in readiness for the long awaited return visit of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and its leader Wynton Marsalis.
In the comfortably attended auditorium the tension mounted until, after the usual commercials from Ros, the musicians took their places and we were off.
I think Wynton announced the opening number as Offertory but I could be wrong. It was a piece portraying the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and had a slightly ecclesiastical feel to it. It sounded good even though this isn't a Basie style outfit that hits you smack dab in the middle with overwhelming power. Instead they got the ensemble over quickly and let the leader loose on an extended solo.
Loose perhaps isn't the right word - I don't think Wynton does 'loose'. Where he excels is in the restrained, perfectly controlled and brilliantly executed solo. If cool was back in fashion this would be cool.
Frank Wess's Magic saw Sherman Irby lighting up on alto. A soft, almost ethereal, sound that gradually built up to a meaty climax.
Portrait in Seven Shades related to the Surrealism of Salvador Dali and this abstraction was increased by the 13/8 time signature, an esoteric trumpet/alto duet (Marcus and Ted) and a driving percussion section that brought it home on a high.
Marcus, I thought, more than held his own with the leader - he had much fire in his belly particularly on Down By The Riverside.
Needless to say, the rhythm section were in the driving seat throughout with piano, bass and drums doing interesting things behind the soloists as well as having their own moments of glory.
One of the stranger choices was a couple of nursery rhymes - Itsy Bitsy Spider and Baa Baa Black Sheep! Joe played bass clarinet on the first whilst Ted Nash played flute. However the kudos on this 'medley' surely went to Walter Blandings for his tenor solo.
An up-tempo number saw Wynton at last going for broke and he drew the applause as did Joe Temperley on the next two.
Ellington's Petal of a Rose saw Joe, rich and luxuriant, on bass clarinet - I don't think I've ever heard a bass clarinet sound so full and round-toned. Likewise his baritone blast on Jack The Bear. The legacy of Harry Carney is in safe hands here.
This brought the interval-less concert to a close but, of course, we demanded more and got less!
By which I mean a segment of the band came on for the encore and played - I kid you not - Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans' Bump which was done quite imaginatively. Then it was all over and the deserved applause included several standing ovs.
Because Joe Temperley wasn't in the small group encore I missed the chance to chat with him backstage - he'd returned to The Hilton to watch some football!
Lance.

2 comments :

Russell said...

Hi Lance

What a line-up! What a band! Great material played at low-level volume - now there's a lesson...for some.

Russell

Roly said...

Maybe low volume is the new loud?
Roly

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