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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.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

CD Review: Cheryl Bentyne - reArrangements of Shadows

Just when you thought it was safe to go in to the record store up pops another one! Yes, another singer emerges from the depths. Fortunately, on this occasion, it's Cheryl Bentyne, of Manhattan Transfer who, in reArrangements of Shadows, takes on the daunting task of reimagining songs by the iconic Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. I say daunting as, unlike the majority of Broadway songsmiths such as Porter, Gershwin, Kern, Berlin etc. Sondheim's works are so specific to the original show that singing them out of context is far from easy. Send in the Clowns is probably the only song in this collection that has prospered in the hands of others...
...until now.
Bentyne is up for it. No doubt but that 38 years of Man Tran has honed her ability to handle just about any vocal situation.
The Ladies Who Lunch comes with two courses. The first one is a vocal threesome with fellow Man Tranian, Janis Siegel and another fine vocalist, Tierney Sutton, joining Bentyne. It's a hoot with the martini tinged voices transporting the listener to an exclusive, upmarket brasserie where the trio cause musical mayhem. The second version - listed as a Bonus Track - is sung solo and is equally effective.
I Remember: poignant with much emotion from voice and sympathetic piano.
Sand: An obscure number from an unproduced movie, Bentyne draws every nuance from the lyric with more Beasley piano and lots of twists and turns from the singer.
Everybody Says Don't is almost vocalese with only bass and drums for support.
Comedy Tonight: Quirky!
I Wish I Could Forget You, sung with only Tom Zink for support, tugs at the heartstrings.
Not a Day Goes by is another one that exudes sadness and sorrow. Few can display those emotions better than Bentyne.
The sombre cello-led strings forewarn us that Move On is going to be more wake than wedding. Bentyne's memory of her own past health problems was
surely a significant factor.
Send in the Clowns; cool bossa backing, cool vocal.
An impressive album by one of the few vocalists capable of bringing Sondheim from Broadway to Birdland and back again.
Lance.
Piano: John Beasley (4 tks); Tom Zink (1 tk); Bevan Manson (1 tk.)
Strings: Rafi Rishik, Irina Voloshina (violins); Jennie Hansen (viola); Armen Ksajikian (cello).
Guitar: Tom McCauley (perc. 2 tks).
Percussion; Brad Dutz (1 tk). John Arrucci (marimba); Kevin Axt (bass); Dave Tull (drums).
Vocals: Cheryl Bentyne; Janis Siegel and Tierney Sutton (1tk); Mark Kibble and Armand Hutton (1 tk).

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