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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.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Big Bad Wolf @ Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. April 9. Jazz North East.

Rob Luft (guitar, vocals), Owen Dawson (trombone, synthesizer, vocals), Michael de Souza (Fender bass 6, vocals), Jay Davis (wonderfully coloured drums).
(Review by Steve T/Photo courtesy of Ken Drew).
When Steve Hackett auditioned for Genesis, Gabriel (Peter) noted that all the guitarists coming through were about 'flash', while Steve was more about colours. There was ample evidence here of the flash that Luft is more than capable of (as was Hackett), but it was sparse and tastefully spread over the two sets, with more multi colors than Saturday morning TV in the 1970’s.
Luft made the announcements, advising that they record themselves improvising, cut it up and play it with virtually no improvising; what he likes to call Reverse Jazz.
Each of them, apart from the drummer, did some singing, some with lyrics and some without, occasionally a little like the efforts of Tony Williams and Stanley Clarke in the early days of fusion, but had it been 1972, white British musicians making this music would have gone straight to the prog rock camp. Think Pink Floyd with a kick-ass drummer, a brilliant guitarist and a pair of b^!!$.  
As a technophobe, the stacks of pedals sometimes seem as difficult to manage as playing the instruments, but there was plenty of musicianship on show from all concerned.
Drummer Jay Davis playing masterful syncopation through multiple shifts in pace and time signatures.
Owen Dawson playing the ‘bone mostly for melody and atmosphere, until the final piece where he took an impassioned solo, the longest of the set and the only one to draw applause, but it's often the case in this type of setting that solos and their endings are difficult to pin down; the old Weather Report idea of we never solo we always solo.
Michael de Souza played a Fender bass 6 which enabled him to slip seamlessly between bass, rhythm and a fine lead part during the penultimate track.
Luft took two sublime solos during set one and his rhythm and comping was immaculate throughout. I hoped he would follow the trombone solo with a barnstorming solo to finish, but he went for jouissance which worked for me, while leaving me wanting more. Maybe next time he'll bring a trio which will be amazing in a different way.
I tend to make a note of appropriate guitar names and get into bother for always including Metheny, but we agreed on Mike Walker and Steve Howe, while FDT suggested Alan Holdsworth, prog turned Jazz rocker, former Level 42er who some consider the greatest ever.
There were overt influences from Brazil, some ambience and some strikingly beautiful soundscapes in a set drawn mostly from the imminent album which, unless you hate this strand of Jazz, I strongly recommend you give a listen to.
A couple of dozen made this the busiest I've ever seen it and great to see a number of young people, including some females but don't worry, the boys were far more afraid of them than they were of the boys.
Steve T.

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