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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.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

French Jazz Night @ The Jazz Café. May 10











Gypsies of Bohemia: Jim Wallace (guitar), Matthew Whitaker (guitar & vocals), Frank Grime (double bass) & Sam Draper (drums)
Shamans Jazz Quartet: Claire Kahn (tenor & soprano saxophones, violin, vocals), Chris Bonno (electric bass), Amos Joseph (piano) & Fito Pierre (drums). 
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Mike Tilley). 
Mitry Mory meets Madchester or never the twain. The French contingent from the outskirts of Paris – the Shamans – opened the show at a well attended Jazz Café. A community, work-shopping band lead by electric bassist Chris Bonno, their set list comprised French popular song (George Brassens, Charles Aznavour), a standard (Autumn Leaves) and a Latin reworking of Minor Swing.
Vocalist Claire Kahn shocked the audience by singing in French. What is the world coming to?!!! School girl/boy French didn’t help much, Kahn’s soprano sax required little in the way of translation; committed, personal statements. The quartet’s sound driven by Bonno, abetted by drummer Pierre’s energetic display, had the effect of relegating pianist Joseph to that of little heard sideman.
The French theme continued with the arrival of the Madchester boys. The Mancs do jazz their way – Django the inspiration, the material whatever takes their fancy. A couple of Django’s tunes paid homage to the man, otherwise this was alt jazz at its best. Alt jazz? Alt country has reclaimed the music from the rednecks, so the Gypsies of Bohemia have set about dispatching the Mouldy Old Fig to the academic margin, deconstructing pop songs as they go. Charismatic front man Matthew Whitaker (rhythm guitar, vocals & alt beard) sat alongside former Newcastle College music student Jim Wallace (guitar) and as they looked up all they could see was a sea of faces – all seats long since taken, pretty young things sat at their feet, the ‘mad for it’ crowd standing ten deep, bouncing off the walls such was the energy generated by the Bohemians.
The rhythm boys – Whitaker, propulsive bassist Frank Grime and ex-Newcastle College student Sam Draper (yes, another success story from the Geordie seat of learning) had it, them, the whole shebang, in their collective back pocket. The eclectic set list – Blondie, Radiohead,, Britney Spears’ Toxic (not as we know it, this was something else, truly toxic!), Soft Cell – struck an acoustic chord with the audience. The Smiths (for some soporific, the Bohemians take on their fellow Mancs somewhat different!), the Prodigy and the Outhere Brothers aren’t obvious jazz material. This gig subverted the obvious, only those with a sense of humour bypass would have failed to get it. The band’s principal soloist, Jim Wallace, studied with James Birkett, some ten years on Dr Birkett would be mightily impressed with his ace student. Superb technique, adapted to the group sound, Wallace is a most impressive player. As the Jazz Café’s mosh pit gathering bounced off the walls the Bohemians enquired triumphantly: Let me hear you say Way Oh!  Boom Boom Boom.         
Russell.

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