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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.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

CD Review: James Hall - Lattice

James Hall (trombone); Jamie Baum (flute/alto flute); Deanna Witkowski (piano/Rhodes); Tom DiCarlo (bass); Allan Mednard (drums) + Sharel Cassidy (alto on 2 tracks).
(Review by Lance).
Trombone and flute are not your usual frontline, in fact, apart from Herbie Hancock's Speak Like a Child, I can't think of another.
It doesn't matter. Even if trom/flute duos were as common as trumpet/tenor pairings this one would still stand out from the crowd. 
The two horns gel. Hall's round sound - dry but not brittle - contrasting nicely with Baum's virtuosic flights. They interweave seamlessly it's a musical marriage. And so it should be. The title track Lattice was written by Hall and is dedicated to his now wife Kristen, portraying the development of their romance.
Sharel Cassidy adds some distinctive alto to a couple of tracks providing an extra, boppier, dimension. Witkowski is another star. Whether 'comping or soloing on piano or Rhodes Witkowski is a voice to be heard. Listening to her solo on Traveler it's no surrprise to learn that she's worked with Donny McCaslin, accompanied Lizz Wright, released six albums of her own, as well as holding down the piano chair with the Jim McNeeley led BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra to mention but a few of her past achievements
DiCarlo and Mednard hold it all together with the latter also breaking out on Traveler (their spelling). All but two of the compositions are by Hall revealing a lyricism in his writing that echoes his playing.
The two non-Hall pieces are Joe Henderson's Black Narcissus and Kenny Wheeler's Kind Folk. Wheeler was artist-in-residence during Hall's time at Lawrence University in Wiisconsin.
The final track, Terrace, has Hall blowing some bluesy muted bone, Witkowski rich chords and flowing right hand, Mednard going for the jugular, the whole shebang ending abruptly and this listener shouting WOW!
As a matter of interest, Hall and Mednard met up when they were touring with Postmodern Jukebox.
If this is the calibre of guys in PJ then this Sunday's concert at Sage Gateshead is going to be something else!
Lance.

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