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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, July 25, 2018

Paul Skerritt & James Harrison @ The Jazz Café - July 24

Paul Skerritt (vocals); James Harrison (pianos).
(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Mike Tilley).
I'm never quite sure how to categorise this dynamic duo. Individually, they are at the top of their game, but, together, it can sometimes be a little over the top. Fortunately, tonight the balance was just about right. Sure there was the tomfoolery and the shenanigans but there was also the cool vocals and the hard-swinging piano. 
The material ranged from gassers to more contemporary songs delivered in the manner of Postmodern Jukebox. Not many singers can do a Gregory Porter song without coming in a distant second but Paul ran the great man close on Take me to the Alley. The Jazz Café does have a nearby alley but no one took up the option.
The opener, Swingin' Down the Jazz Café, told us that the, soon to be, father of twins had put some thought into the gig and the lyrics were, again, appropriate.
Hooray For Love; It's Only a Paper Moon; Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter kept the ball rolling as did The Way You Look Tonight - has there ever been a better line than 'Keep that breathless charm'? I go weak at the knees each time I hear it (don't ask!).
L-O-V-E sang in Pizzeria Italian was linguistically impressive as was Puttin' on the Ritz (sung in chip shop Englishalthough James' piano solo could have caused it to be retitled Puttin' on the Jazz Café.
As ever, our young piano man was in an impish mood and the quotes abounded. Sister Sadie being slotted in whenever he felt the need for Sadie to be slotted.
Goody Goody; All About the Bass; Misty and Get Lucky saw out the first set and the room seemed to exude a rosy glow which turned out to be the low-key 'stage lighting'.
Harry Connick Jr.'s Come By Me; American Boy (Girl); Pennies From Heaven (James couldn't resist a few drops of Singin' in the Rain); Take That's Could it be Magic?; Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel; Black and Gold; Shake It Up, with a stride/ragtime interlude from 'Fingers',; Is You is or is you Ain't my Baby?; Bruno Mars provided some Uptown Funk whilst Paul himself gave Larry Hart's Lady is a Tramp a gender change before reverting to the original lyric at tempo de lick.
After he'd attended a Tony Bennett concert in Manchester earlier this year, it wasn't surprising that he left his hat, sorry, his Heart in San Francisco before winding up the evening with Let the Good Times Roll indeed the evening wound up with the duo rolling on the floor still singing and playing - good times? Most certainly!
Two incredibly good performers who know how to put on a show. Sometimes it's spontaneous, sometimes it's choreographed and sometimes it's both but, irrespective, it works. They appear at Marsden Jazz Festival later this year - the audience can expect to expect the unexpected.
Lance.

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