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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 13, 2016

Ruth Lambert Trio/Sue Ferris Quartet @ Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. June 12.

Ruth Lambert Trio: Ruth Lambert (vcl); Mick Shoulder (bs); Giles Strong (gtr).
Sue Ferris Quartet: Sue Ferris (ten/fl); Paul Edis (pno); Tony Abell (bs); Rob Walker (dms).
(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew).
Part of Jazz North-East's admirable Women Make Music series although, in actual fact, only two of the seven musicians involved were of the 'fairer sex'. However, as Lambert and Ferris were the leaders of their respective bands, the WMM  nomenclature was fully justified and, after you'd heard them sing/play, gender went out of the window!
The Ruth Lambert Trio played the first set. A well-balanced mix of original compositions by all three, some Cole Porter and a more contemporary number - Oscar Brown, Jr.'s The Snake.
The audience may have been thin on the ground, although you wouldn't have known it by the volume of applause at the end of each number. Such was the gossamer-like nature of the music that applause after solos would, on this occasion, have destroyed the ambience irrespective of how deserving.
Strong alternated between classical guitar and an Ibanez Jazz as and when the number demanded it. He soloed and comped well on  both. He also composed one of the songs - Everything Was Beautiful. Shoulder was, as ever, melodic and swinging. He too provided some material. The opener, How Can I? and a collaboration with Ms Lambert, Lullaby. Ruth herself wrote A Love That Never Dies and also put her stamp on You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To;Love for Sale and Devil May Care.
Encased in a sheath that wouldn't have been out of place on the aforementioned snake, the lady herself was, as ever, in good voice bringing her own take to each number. Subtle nuances, a slight variation in the meter, a change of direction, all combining for a class performance.
A short interval before the second band took to the stage led by Sue Ferris.
Sue, who'd earlier in the evening guested with the trio on You'd Be So Nice etc.,blows tenor, not like a woman, more like a jazz musician of any gender. Hard-blowing, straight down the middle, saxophone playing of the first order. Just Squeeze Me; Jerry Bergonzi's Red's Blues; Bill Evan's Peris Scope; I Thought About You; Paul Edis' cleverly titled McCoyn a Phrase (ref McCoy Tyner) all blown on tenor with a really wailing chorus on the latter number.
A switch to flute for a piece by the Durham-based, vastly underrated, composer Will Todd and another clever title - I Thought About Who? More flute on All or Nothing at All. A samba beat and some superb hand-drumming from Walker took us down to Rio and not a sign of any Zika symptoms!
Back to tenor and the last number - Clifford Brown's Sandu.
The solos on this set were acknowledged - choruses for courses!
Special mention of Tony Abell who stepped in at short notice for Neil Harland - he cut the mustard. Paul Edis was, simply, Paul Edis, and I can praise him unequivocally as I'm not his dad!
And Rob Walker also played great - for a man!
The prompt finish meant I had no problems catching the number 27 as it stops close by!
Lance.

1 comment :

Steven T. said...

Number one son always suggests that, when the Early Birds support one of Pauls' groups, I arrange with his dad that he does EBs and I do Paul.
This is why I always big-up Paul (and not cos he's brilliant), hoping his dad will reciprocate re Francis.

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