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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

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.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

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.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Friday, April 09, 2010

BIX LIVES! (at the Saville Exchange, North Shields.) ANDY WOON's BIX GANG.

Andy Woon (cnt), Paul Munnery (tmb), Matthias Seuffert (clt/alt/ten), Frans Sojstrom (bs sax), Martin Litton (pno), Spats Langham (bjo/gtr/vcl), Nick Ward (dms).
Most, if not all of this Bixian crew have played at the Saville - some many times. This, however, was their first appearance en masse and it was quite a delightful evening. We had been expecting Norman Field on reeds but instead we got the ever youthful German Matthias Seuffert. Not a bad deal all things considered.
This, as you may have guessed, was a tribute to Bix Beiderbecke of whom it has been said was the Miles Davis of his day although personally I would have used Chet Baker for the analogy.  Easy to see why. Both played well within their range and had a bent for lyricism - as well as self-destruction. 
Andy Woon is low on self-destruction but high on the other two qualities - qualities he displayed in abundance tonight before an appreciative Saville audience. He has the Bix runs and phrases off to a T and he uses them effectively whilst carefully blending them in with his own licks. His solos on Stardust, Singin' the Blues and I'm Comin' Virginia were perfect vignettes. Royal Garden Blues, At The Jazz Band Ball, Somebody Stole My Gal, were some of the more stompified numbers - foot-tappers all.
Matthias gets an almost Hodges-like sound on alto, is less distinctive on tenor and superb on clarinet. On alto he created the Trumbauer mood perfectly.
On the ginormous bass sax the Swede floated round with the ease and dexterity on a flautist. When not soloing he compensated for the lack of a bass player.
Munnery plays straight down the middle without frills - no smoothy stuff here.
Martin Litton paid homage to Bix with In A Mist and  In the Dark - two Beiderbecke piano classics.
Nick Ward hit everything he was required to hit and sometimes more.
Spats Langham did the announcements and sang a la Bing as well as playing unamplified guitar and banjo. Spat's vocals included You Took Advantage of Me and the rarely heard I'll Be Your Friend With Pleasure.
Don't miss out on next month's gig which is on a Tuesday May 11 and features the Fryer/Barnhart Jazz Band. The band includes no less than three American Jims - Jim Fryer (tmb), Jim Barnhart (pno) and Jimmy Mazzy (bjo.vcl) along with George Huxley (clt/sop), Gordon Whitworth (tpt), Annie Hawkins (bs) Brian Mellor (bjo) - two banjos in one evening! - plus a return visit from tonight's drummer, Nick Ward..
Lance 

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