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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, July 31, 2018

Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski and The Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Jazz Café - July 27

(Review/photos courtesy of Ken Drew)
The third visit by Jazz North East to the Jazz Café in a week!  Following on from Jesse Bannister/GemArts (co-promo with JNE) last Thursday and a wonderful treat it was, and Greg Abate with the local power trio last Friday (high octane playing all-round) this Friday saw a more relaxed session as part of Jazz North East's 'Women Make Music' series. The programme comprised two sets of distinctive music focusing on vocalist-guitarist collaborations, one well established in recent years and the other recently formed, with many tunes self-penned and performed by our locally based musicians.
Set 1:   Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski 
Alice Grace (vocals); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar)

Guitar and voice duo Grace and 'Pav' were formed as part of the recent Strictly Smokin' Sessions where Jazz North East invited elements of the larger Band to create and perform their own material. Some non-original covers, some with words set to existing music (Eric Satie's Gymnopedie inspired tune with words by Pav) and some totally original by Grace, providing a very pleasant and varied mix for their chosen programme.

Grace's voice was in good form and went through quite a range of styles demonstrating her wide vocal range. It was nice to hear her outside of the Strictly Smokin' Big Band in a more restrained and sedate setting. The material chosen included a Portuguese song, chosen by Pav and requested to be sung in the original Portuguese.  This ‘challenge’ was accepted by Grace, and succeeded too!  Pawel is an adventurous guitarist and played as the occasion required, supporting Grace as an equal and presenting his familiar playing style to produce a nice clean sound. Playing a Washburn J3 Electric guitar, no plectrum was used here, just gentle finger-picking, constantly shaping familiar and not-so familiar material in a very listenable way.  Playing some extended solos, these were neatly intertwined and nicely embellished the tune. The set ended with Long Road, written by Grace, and well received by the audience.

Set 2:  The Milne-Glendinning Band
Debra Milne (vocals); Steve Glendinning (guitar); Katy Trigger (bass); Nik Alevroyiannis (drums)

A program of originals, with words by D. Milne and music by S. Glendinning, B. Johnston, and A. Glen.  With a good range of tempi and styles - the words and music gelled nicely.  Starting off at a slightly higher tempo than Set 1, with a definite groove,  they covered quite a range of styles, some with a catchy hook capable of producing a few 'earworms' to accompany you on the way home.
Tunes included love songs, not-love songs (quite a bouncy tune), a ‘protest’ song - a reaction to Trump's election victory reflecting on 'Most people .....' with the last two providing a good ending to the set. Soul Mates had a good groove and included solos from Trigger and later Alevroyiannis who broke out from his supportive role into a freer approach for Trigger's and Glendinning's solos.  And Blame Game with extended solos from Glendinning and Alevroyiannis, a bouncy tune which seemed to include a free earworm due to its catchy phrasing.  Glendinning was, as ever, wonderful to hear on guitar - almost on fire in parts, and often taking an extended (but very welcome) solo.
The band played well together - quite tight yet with an overall loose feel to the tunes, but nonetheless tightly played (and seemingly enjoyed) by the band.
Some may have expected to hear Stormy Weather at some point in the evening, which would have been topical, but the absence of GAS and the reliance on self-penned words and music was very welcome and distinctly more refreshing. In fact, Debra said in her introduction, 'You can't leave now - it's bucketing outside’!  And then with a touch of thunder, we DID hear (and see) some Stormy Weather.

The evening had been one focussing on vocalist-guitarists, and each set had provided a wonderful contrast to a very appreciative audience.

Ken.

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