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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.

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.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

CD Review: Manu Katché – Unstatic

Ellen Andrea Wang (bass, vocals); Manu Katché  (drums, vocals); Jim (James) Watson (piano, keyboards); Tore Brunborg (saxes); Luca Aquino (trumpet)  +  Nils Langren (trombone).
(Review by Hugh C)
Manu  Katché was born in 1958 in France and initially studied classical piano at age 7 in Paris.  At age 15 he enrolled at Conservatoire National de Paris and subsequently became a session and concert drummer.  He began to come to international attention in the mid-'80s when he was involved in recording and touring projects with Peter Gabriel and Sting.  He then acted as a backup musician with a variety of international artists in various genres but including Jan Garbarek.  He joined the ECM stable in 1999, releasing his first disc, Neighbourhood, followed by (in 2007) Playground.
On Unstatic, he performs with a truly international band. The first track Introducción, is a catchy rumba and does what it says on the bote – setting the tone for the rest of the disc.  The title track Unstatic kicks off with a decidedly funky groove underpinned by Katchés drumming and given that funky feel by Englishman Jim Watson's fingerwork on keyboards.  Flame&co (is there a pun in there?) follows on, taking the pace down a little, but still with a driving rhythm overlain by Aquino's nifty trumpet work.  The frantic City permits no rest until the gospel style Blossom follows featuring Brunborg's melodic alto saxophone and vocals from Wang and Katché; the listener can now draw breath.  The balladic Daze Days maintains the meditative atmosphere of the previous track with thoughtful trumpet and saxophone from Aquino and Brunborg respectively.  Rolling has both drum 'n bass setting the rhythmic undercurrent, over which the horns can play - featuring also a chorus from the beautifully toned trombone of Nils Landgren.  The track rolls away and fades to Ride Me Up.  Solo piano from Watson introduces Trickle, Wang's bass is to the fore in this track.  Katchés drum-work provides an insistent after-beat on Out of Sight over which the trumpet and saxophone weave melodic interplay.  The distinctly smoooth sound of Presentation concludes the show and MC, drummer, bandleader and composer Manu Katché introduces us to the band, as if in a live setting.
I have admired and enjoyed Katchés work since purchasing Neighbourhood way back when.  Unstatic is a fine addition to his output and is released by Anteprima Productions on April 22 in the UK. catalogue Number CD18021.  No tour dates are currently listed for the UK, but you can next catch the band at the Lublin Jazz Festival in Poland on April 24.
Hugh.

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