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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

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.

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.

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Boys of Brass @ Tyne Bank Brewery - March 23

Ben Thornley (vocals, guitar); Robert McBurnie (trumpet); Steven Symonds (trumpet); Chris Bentham (trombone); John Philip Rudkin (mellophonium); Phil Rosier (tuba); Ian Wynd (drums)
(Review by Russell) 

Tyne Bank Brewery's self-proclamation that its Walker Road brewery and tap room is 'nowt special' is slightly tongue in cheek. An old industrial building not far from the Tyne has been transformed from a state of slow decline into a thriving micro pub with gleaming new brewing plant attached (see photo). Music is an integral part of the business and on a mild, late March Saturday evening the Boys of Brass were in town.

Q3, ETA 7:15, A-OK. Yes, the Quaylink bus from the city centre stops, rather conveniently, right outside the Tyne Bank's spacious HQ. Up a flight of steps, through the door and...it was busy, busy, busy. Side-stepping a friendly table tennis match (its that kind of hip place), looking for a seat (some occupied by canines and their well-behaved owners), a trip to the bar (Silver Dollar the choice), the Boys of Brass would soon be pumping-up the volume.



Daft Punk's Get Lucky, Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up (a tune made for brass players, if ever there was one) to Mr Pitiful (frontman Ben Thornley as Otis Redding, a bit of a stretch, but hey...), the brass boys were slowly but surely tempting the crowd onto the industrial concrete dance floor. The beer was flowing as a steady flow of glad rags stepped out of their Saturday night taxis straight onto the dance floor. 

The Boys of Brass' rhythm section worked overtime - Phil Rosier pumping and slurping all night long, drummer Ian Wynd snapping the snare with laser-like precision - flanked left by mellophonium (John Philip Rudkin) and trombone (Chris Bentham), and right by a trumpet one-two (Robert McBurnie and Steven Symonds). Stuck in the middle, Ben Thornley, singing...Stuck in the Middle with You (Stealers Wheel)!

As the dance floor filled the thought of heading into town to catch the second set at Billy Bootleggers came to mind. Q3, ETA 9:30...decisions, decisions. Thinking time was required - another trip to the bar, a change of brew, a pint of Equilibrium. The Real Thing's You to Me are Everything encouraged more booties to be shaken in front of the band, the Q3 was a-comin'. More booties shook as they demanded Play that Funky Music. Quick, Q3, Newcastle' no.1 American dive bar here we come!

Minutes later, descending the stairs on Nelson Street two things became apparent - the joint was jumpin', busier than ever, and...it wasn't the Bullfrog Blues Band it was some other (equally fine) band. Your correspondent's gig-list-in-the-head had, for once, failed him. D'oh! It was to be an early night.  

Russell.

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