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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum….

Actually not so funny – we got lost! Eventually finding it was a treat though as the show (Tuesday night in Billingham, and England on the telly – surely some mistake??) was fantastic! 
The old 1960’s show started with the words:
--"Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone….” And Jason Isaacs tonight put together two superb sets which lived up to that idea. Indeed with all the one-liners dotted about (mostly so bad they were good!), he could probably have claimed “a comedy tonight” as well!
For the “familiar” we had Rat Pack classics such as Sailing, Come Fly with Me and Mr. Bojangles; for those who liked an older vintage there was Cheek to Cheek or, for jazz-lovers a funky Summertime or, if you like more recent stuff (“something for everyone”) there was full-on Elvis in Vegas; “something(s) peculiar” came in the form of swing arrangements of For once in My Life and Wonderwall!! These last, both amazing to hear, proved that music, as long as it is GOOD music, has no boundaries and can forever be re-interpreted. The range, from Gershwin to Gallagher, all tackled with equal relish and with equal élan, had the audience clapping, finger-snapping, singing and bopping their way to three encores.
Apart from titles already mentioned Billingham swung to: Got You under My Skin, The Best is Yet to Come, That’s Life, It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing (nice “doo-wap” backing from The Fenner Sisters), One for My Baby and One More for the Road (nice piano, Paul Edis), Let There Be Love and many more.
You will have gathered from my exclamatory style that I loved this show: the “ingredients” were all first class. There were great songs with intelligent lyrics. The band was fabulous from first to last and the musicians so visibly enjoyed themselves that it all had the feel of a party. The late Dave Connolly would have been proud of them, I’m sure, and would have partied too. A huge sound when “giving it some” (the singer’s words, not mine), yet capable of subtlety and humour where required and with some great soloing along the way. The vocals were excellent – close your eyes and it could have been any of the originals, Sinatra, Bennett, Darin, Nat King Cole. The presentation was unfailingly engaging – Jason Isaacs is energetic (his high-kicks showed scant respect for health-and-safety), good-humoured, personable and boy, does he know how to work an audience! Even their singing on Minnie the Moocher and on The Wonder of You was mellifluous and moving (a bit, at least!).
So, although we got lost on the way home as well, we went home happily whistling Mack the Knife and hoping this show will be on again soon. If it is, we won’t miss it – nor should you.
Jerry.

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