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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.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Early Bird Band @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle - June 18.

(Review by Steve T/Archive photo courtesy of Jerry)
Russell does it again, arriving in time to enjoy the band packing up their instruments. No probs with pen and paper this time; it's a short set with a few more reliable memories than mine to draw on.
With three months in France looming (I hate the entire family), the senior Edis tentatively moves towards recognition of what is already blindingly obvious to anybody with the tiniest smidgen of knowledge of North East Jazz. I thought I'd risk pushing the boat out with my own little axe-man heading off for a mighty four years; yabadabadoo.
With suspected tonsillitis or glandular fever, not to mention important exams (which they all have) I suggested he take it easy. No need; it was great to have the dream team back, maybe for one of the very last times; to north-east teenage Jazz what McLaughlin and Cobham were to Jazz-Rock: pint-size drumming ace Mathew McKellar - a fantastic ambassador for young Jazz musicians in the North East - and back on form and back on fire FDT, ably abetted as always by bassist Dan Lawrence, shoes absent, as always, revealing festive socks and into it like few I can think of.
The set, mostly chosen by the band, was particularly inspired: straight into Softly followed by Hubbard’s Little Sunflower, a set and maybe even season high, even with the horns slipping at times - anybody who hasn't heard this featuring Al Jarreau must do so immediately (well finish reading this first obviously) but with any smooth Jazz prejudice set aside.
I'll Be Seeing You followed, marking the imminent departure from the band of Francis and the older Lawrence.
Quick changeover for ‘Donna Lee. Apparently FDT and Lawrence the younger, unbeknown to their parents, have been working on this for some time - the wonders of modern technology. Exit James and Nick; (real) Doctor Edis relieves newcomer (not real) Doctor Phil on piano duties and they're off. 
Penultimate number and Nick leaps in (or is it Lester without his porkpie hat?) followed by closing number and finale for this line-up’s Lit and Phil residency Now's the Time, we think by Bird, appropriately for the Early Birds. The rhythm section drop out, followed by the saxes leaving the two trumpets doing something apparently known as lines - who knew? -  and more than compensating for any slips in Little Sunflower. A single bass solo near the end seems to have become a tradition for this band and, with Dan keeping it compelling every time, it's no bad thing to these ears; many years ago I stopped going to see piano trios because I became fed up with bass solos.
Hopefully, we'll be getting some new members in September which should maintain this band as essential listening for anyone with an interest in the future of Jazz in the region.
Steve T
NB. The July gig pencilled in for July 16th has been cancelled.  
Paul Edis - alto sax, piano, MD. Ben (junior) Lawrence - trumpet. James Metcalfe - trumpet. Nick Caughey - tenor sax. Francis D Tulip - guitar. Phil Grobe - piano. Dan (senior) Lawrence - bass guitar. Mathew McKellar - drums.

1 comment :

asateven T. said...

This is why I need a pen and paper, sorted by a pocket size pad and pen-set for fathers day. Meant to say:

Dr Phil and Francis are comping really well together after such a short space of time, and Dr Phil without doing it with the master, which was so beneficial for Francis.

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