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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.

Saturday, October 06, 2018

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: Graeme Wilson Quartet CD launch @ Jazz Café - Oct. 5

Graeme Wilson (tenor/baritone/flute/ bs. clarinet/compositions); Paul Edis (keys/flute); Andy Champion (bass/ bs. guitar, flute); Adam Sinclair (drums).
(Review by Lance/photos courtesy of Malcolm Sinclair).
Graeme's a Scotsman. Even if he hadn't spoken a word, his music would have told you he wasn't born within the sound of Bow Bells or even south of the River Tweed. No, the intro to the opener well and truly marked his card.
Of course, most of us remembered Graeme for the near decade he spent in Newcastle playing at the Side Café, with the VOTNJO, and their offspring band Splinter and we knew that the skirl of the pipes would soon give way to the sheets of sound as purveyed by John, not Robbie, Coltrane.
A prodigious tenor player and an even more prodigious baritone saxophonist. We live in a world of gunslinging, fast on the draw, tenor players but there aren't many Billy the Kids who can shoot from the hip on baritone as fast as Graeme did last night. At one point, he produced a note on baritone that piccolo players could only dream of!
Most of the compositions were from his current CD - Abscondit - as was to be expected and interval trade on the album seemed to be good.
Deservedly so. They were more original than most 'originals' and benefited from well-rehearsed sections to moments of freedom where mayhem was released without injury.
Flute and bass clarinet was also part of his armoury and they were both used to great effect. On one number, After School, both Edis and Champion played flute alongside the leader - we were impressed. 
However, the times when these two really impressed were when they returned to the day job - in Paul's case by playing some dexterous keyboard capers and a simulated Hammond blast on Why Are You Staring at Me? which Graeme wrote around the time of the Scottish referendum. Meanwhile, Andy, a master of the double bass, proved he was equally adept on bass guitar (he switched between the two) and it was on this latter instrument that he brought the house down.
On drums, Sinclair drove like the devil. His outwardly calm demeanour in complete contrast to the rhythms and polyrhythms that were stirring the pot with each ambidextrous movement of foot and finger. At one point he produced marimba-like sounds from a piece of Roland wizardry that proved very effective.
The CD's now available. If you were at the gig you probably bought one. If you didn't get to the gig then put it on your jazz bucket list.
Photos.
Lance.
PS: As time and train wait for no one I had to leave before the end and I have the feeling I may have missed an extra special finale!

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