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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, August 20, 2018

Gala Big Band @ Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art - August 19

(Review by Russell/photos courtesy of Russell (1/3) and Brian Ebbatson (2/4))
For the duration of the Great Exhibition of the North, Lubaina Himid is the star of the show at Baltic. The Turner Prize-winning artist is exhibiting Our Kisses are Petals at Gateshead's contemporary art gallery with an accompanying twelve-week programme of events inviting musicians to create a response to Himid's work. Week nine (August 19) featured the Gala Big Band performing in Baltic's ground floor gallery surrounded by the artist's paint-on-cloth series exploring, and subverting, the symbolism of the flag. 
Gala Big Band MD Paul Edis embarked upon writing a seven-part suite and at eleven o'clock on Sunday morning the Durham-based community orchestra played the challenging pieces in front of an enthusiastic audience. Several familiar faces populated the sections - Ben Lawrence, piano, and Matthew Downey, guitar, sat in the rhythm section, Thomas Dixon, alto, and Alex Thompson, tenor, produced telling solos from the reeds, and the trombone section was bolstered by a couple of senior practitioners in the form of Jason Holcomb and Alan Bravey. 

The Gala Big Band meets fortnightly and the level of musicianship in evidence at this early hour was testament to Edis' abilities as MD and the commitment of all in the band to present a professional show. Two particular highlights; Glenn Miller singing - yes, that's the man's name, no relation to the long-lost US band leader! - and a Basie-like swing-a-rooney of a tune titled How Do You Spell Change? incorporating references to Armstrong's West End Blues and Bird's Now's the Time with Dixon and Thompson contributing incisive solos. 

Somehow or other MD Edis found time to play flute on a couple of numbers, a constantly busy man is Dr Edis! One or two things to mention - housekeeping, one could call it - if G Miller, vocalist, is anywhere in the vicinity of Newcastle's Jazz Café tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8:00 he should drop by, he'd be welcome to sit-in at the jam session and, it just so happens, Paul Edis will be at the piano! Secondly, the Gala Big Band is keen to recruit a trombone player or three. 
If you're thinking That's me! 
email: www.bigband@galadurham.co.uk                 
The Gala Big Band is developing at a rate of knots, be sure to check 'em out!    
Russell

2 comments :

Lance said...

I'll have to check Lubiana Himid out - find out about subverting the symbolism of the flag. I'm a Jack Vettriano man myself and he doesn't do much in the way of subverting symbolism - or does he?

Russell said...

JV? Chocolate box painting by numbers!

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