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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Jazz Co-op Weekend Workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle: August 4/5

Saturday
(Report by Ann Alex)
There were 20 of us assembled, including 3 basses (upright, guitar, and ukulele bass!); 3 drummers; 3 vocalists; 3 keys players; various saxes including a baritone; and a trumpet and guitar. Imagine that for a big band – a bandleader’s nightmare!

The tutors firstly suggested that we should perform small group improvisations for everyone to hear. This was, I guess, a way to get us going, and for the tutors to find out what we were capable of.  
We came up with the goods. Our next exercise was about rhythm, hands doing triplets and feet going one/two at the same time. DO try this at home – it’ll improve your rhythm and I’m told it’s good for keeping your brain alive as well. To keep our bodies alive, we had lunch courtesy of Waitrose.
The afternoon saw us working on Straight Life (Freddie Hubbard, originally a jazz waltz) and Contemplation (McCoy Tyner, a tune based on scales), assisted by tutor Jamil Sheriff, keyboard player and cat lover. I found the improvisation tricky as I didn’t know the tunes, and we vocalists have to pluck notes from the air, we don’t have stops or strings to guide us. Still, our group (we’d split into 2 sets of players) came up with some interesting versions of these simple but strong tunes. I never did find out what the other group got up to.
To round off Saturday, the whole group listened as we took turns showing what we’d made of the tunes, or did more instant improvisation.
Sunday
Today began with the drummers and bases being taken upstairs with tutor Caroline Boaden, a drumming and percussion specialist, to do whatever such players do. The rest of us were downstairs with Jamil, doing exercises on the G blues scale, which I recognised from playing the ukulele, but I kept quiet about that. Up and down the scale we went, with pivots and enclosures, Do try this at home, but a/ Find out what the terms mean for yourself, and b/ Warn the neighbours. After a whole group feedback and more delicious lunch, the two groups formed again to go with the tutor they’d not had on the previous day. Our group, with Caroline, was drums, 2 keys, saxes, trumpet, bass, myself on vocals, I seem to recall. We worked on Coltrane’s Equinox, which I did know, from the Globe Women’s Jazz Workshop, more of that later. After some initial practice, we were on our own without the tutor, doing our own arrangement, led ably by a keys man, and once again we came up with the goods.
The whole workshop was rounded off with a final jam session, which included our performance of Equinox; and various people doing Blue Bossa; All Blues; Autumn Leaves.

You’ll have worked out that this was all thoroughly enjoyable, a great, friendly, learning weekend, yet another of the Jazz Co-op’s successes. Thanks to the tutors, who came to us from the Leeds Music College, and to Sheila Herrick, who worked tirelessly in the kitchen and on the bar, to make sure we were fed and watered.
Ann Alex

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