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Bebop Spoken There

Raymond Chandler: “ I was walking the floor and listening to Khatchaturian working in a tractor factory. He called it a violin concerto. I called it a loose fan belt and the hell with it ". The Long Goodbye, Penguin 1959.

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

16350 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 230 of them this year alone and, so far, 27 this month (April 11).

From This Moment On ...

April

Tue 16: The Horne Section’s Hit Show @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:30pm.
Tue 16: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Bradley Johnston, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

Wed 17: Bailey Rudd (Minor Recital) @ The Music Studios, Haymarket Lane, Newcastle University. 11:40am. Bailey Rudd (drums). Open to the public.
Wed 17: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: The Horne Section’s Hit Show @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer Café, Chillingham Road, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 18: Knats @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £8.00. + bf. Support act TBC.
Thu 18: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 18: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guest band night with Just Friends: Ian Bosworth (guitar); Donna Hewitt (sax); Dave Archbold (keys); Ron Smith (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums).

Fri 19: Cia Tomasso @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. ‘Cia Tomasso sings Billie Holiday’. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Radio Rooms, Berwick. 7:00pm (doors). £5.00.
Fri 19: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Levitation Orchestra + Nauta @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £11.00.
Fri 19: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. ‘Ella & Ellington’.

Sat 20: Record Store Day…at a store near you!
Sat 20: Bright Street Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. Swing dance taster session (6:30pm) followed by Bright Street Big Band (7:30pm). £12.00.
Sat 20: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Acoustic blues.
Sat 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ St Andrew’s Church, Monkseaton. 7:30pm. £10.00. (inc. a drink on arrival).

Sun 21: Jamie Toms Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Holy Grale, Durham. 5:00pm.
Sun 21: The Jazz Defenders @ Cluny 2. Doors 6:00pm. £15.00.
Sun 21: Edgar Rubenis @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues & ragtime guitar.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Art Themen with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. +bf. JNE. SOLD OUT!

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Monday, November 02, 2015

Cormac Loane's 60th Birthday @ the Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham - October 17

(Review by 'Our Man in Brum'/Photos courtesy of Mike Bates).
Saturday afternoon October 17 saw a formidable gathering of jazz musicians at the Old Joint Stock Theatre in Birmingham where Newcastle born saxophonist, and 1970’s Newcastle Big Band member, Cormac Loane was celebrating his 60th Birthday. Nearly 100 musicians and friends crowded into the candlelit upstairs room of this famous City centre pub, which assumed an authentic jazz club atmosphere for the occasion. Cormac kicked off the proceedings on alto sax with a swinging version of Duke Ellington’s Satin Doll, accompanied by his brother Terry Loane on piano, Nick Wiltshire on bass and Maurice Colby on drums. After a laid back, Latin-American interpretation of Black Orpheus, singer Fred Webb took to the stage, slowing the tempo right down with a very relaxed version of Body and Soul, with Roger Heeley now taking over on keyboard.
Three members of Jazz Strata, resident band at Birmingham’s Malt House, then came to the stage - Peter Carlton on clarinet, Andy Peat on trumpet and Allan Jones on drums, opening with Take the A Train, which included an energetic contribution on vocals from Jim Denham. And then singer Sheila Fawkes joined in on some more standards, accompanied by her multi-instrumentalist “guy”, Terry McGrath – on this occasion playing the trombone!
The Duo Montmartre – Parisian singer Celine Donmart accompanied by acoustic guitarist Cris Tolley – introduced a completely different mood with their beautiful interpretation of traditional, French, jazz-flavoured chansons. Soprano saxophone player Alan Davis then continued the French theme with his rendition of Sidney Bechet’s Petite Fleur. For this number the drum chair was taken by the legendary Steve Palmer – one time member of Birmingham Ronnie Scott’s Club resident band, and brother of the famous Carl Palmer. And Terry Loane sat in again on keyboard -  Terry explained later that he and Alan Davis had been music students together at Birmingham University in the 60s and this was the first occasion they had played together since performing the two solo recorder parts in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 4 in the Barber Institute in 1969!
From this point onwards the celebration turned into a true jam session, with different musicians freely dropping in and out of the band, including Martyn Brown on guitar, along with his ultra-talented 15-year-old daughter Sophia on bass, and Nick Wiltshire’s son Reuben on drums. Singer Fred Webb took to the stage again to perform a swinging version of On the Sunny Side of the Street, with Cormac soloing again on alto sax. Then Ex Cathedra soprano Claire Hollocks sang Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm, opening with the song’s beautiful verse, which is not usually heard in jazz clubs! Cormac’s son, Cian – drummer with the rock band Spitting Feathers – joined in on this number. And Howard Gregory, guitarist from the Steve Gibbons Band, contributed a brilliant solo on violin!
Sheila Fawkes returned to a stage crowded with musicians, to close the proceedings with a rousing version of Lover Come Back to Me. It had been a great celebration, re-uniting many old friends, with fantastic music in a beautiful venue!
Photos.
OMIB

3 comments :

Lance said...

Wow Cormack it sounds like it was a swell party! I wish I could have taken up your invitation. Tell me, is Alan Davis the same Alan Davis who gave Dave Weisser's daughter such invaluable recorder tuition? Looking at the photo I think it is (we once jammed together at The Chilli in Heaton many years ago.)

Cormac said...

Yes, probably. As well as being a jazz musician, Alan Davis is one of the country's leading baroque recorder players, and I too was privileged to have a recorder lesson with him on one occasion!

Jim Denham said...

Is "energetic" some kind of euphemism?

A great time was had by all, in honour of a great guy!

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