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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, March 09, 2016

The Safe Sextet @ The Jazz Café - March 8


Don Forbes (tpt); Paul Gowland (alt/ten); John Rowland (ten); Alan Law (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Paul Wight (dms).
(Review by Lance).
A tribute to north-east legends the Emcee 5, with a nod towards Stan Tracey's Under Milkwood, made this a most satisfying session. Particularly for someone such as myself who remembers hearing the Emcee 5 at the Down Beat club in Carliol Square back in the mists of time.
Don Forbes transcribed the numbers from disc and from memory. He did a grand job of recapturing the feel of the originals. The Emcee 5 compositions, mainly by Mike Carr and Gary Cox, had an identifiable sound and, although there were now six, that sound was still there.
Three Mike Carr pieces: The Bridge; Down Beat After Dark and The One That Got Away set the pace. Tight ensembles and excellent solos passed around the seated players (only Grainger, on bass, remained standing although Rowland did stand up for his solos). It didn't matter.
Unlike so many sessions these days, every number didn't end up with the seemingly endless, and often meaningless, rounds of fours.
Pen Pals and I Lost my Step in Nantucket (knockout Alan Law) brought Under Milkwood into the equation and they did Stan Tracey proud. Dobson's Choice, named after local author and jazz fan, Scott Dobson (Larn Yersel Geordie), brought the first set to a close.
The second innings began with a Stan Tracey bouncer - No Good Boyo (I think) and a balladic piece that had both tenors tugging at the heartstrings.
More Emcee 5 with Bell's Blues, a piece from the latter days of the group that, now, featured Gary Cox on tenor, Mike Carr on organ, Jacky Denton on drums and John McLaughlin on guitar. Tonight it was trumpet and two tenors out front and the 3/4 Scottish flavoured opus swung like Sauchiehall St on New Year's Eve.
Groovin' at the Down Beat featured Paul Wight, Stephenson's Rocket had some keyboard capers from Alan Law and John O' Groats brought the set to a close except it didn't. A jam on There Will Never be Another You almost did until the word got around that it was my birthday the next day and the inevitable Happy Birthday to You followed. Thanks, guys, you made an old man feel even older!
Still it had been a good session. Don Forbes' transcriptions accurate and his trumpet playing very much in the Ian Carr mode. Gowland and Rowland, effective, albeit with contrasting styles. Laws, Grainger and Wight - solid.
The only downside was the poor attendance - they deserved a full house.
Lance.

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