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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, March 02, 2019

Great North Big Band Jazz Festival 2019 (Day 1) - Mar 1

(Review/photos by Russell).

The sixteenth Great North Big Band Jazz Festival got off to a flyer...no snow! From Church Chare the venue - Park View Community Centre - was easily found thanks to a trail of strategically positioned arrowed signs proclaiming JAZZ! 

Friday evening is the non-competition day of a fantastic weekend of big band jazz. By tradition Hartlepool based Musicians Unlimited opened the show. Mick Donnelly's outfit hit the ground running with Ja- Da (comp. Bob Carleton) featuring first solos for Mark Toomey, alto, and evergreen Neville Hartley, trombone. 


There was much to get through in the band's one set performance. I Get a Kick Out of You introduced Paul Skerritt to the stage for the first time and, as usual, he gave a charismatic display with Sue Ferris announcing herself with the first of several knockout tenor solos. MU's other vocalist, Jan Specelayh followed and lost nothing by comparison singing My Heart Belongs to Daddy.

County Durham's Mick Shoulder switched from bull fiddle to bass guitar as the band went for it on High Maintenance with altoist Toomey once again in the spotlight as was festival director Bill Watson contributing from the trumpet section. 

Our vocalists shared duties - Skerritt returning to sing Georgia, My Baby Just Cares for Me and a non-ballad take on Misty, Spencelayh That Ole Devil Called  Love and Don't Know Why. The band was given ample opportunity to show what it could do with Count Bubba a good example of ensemble playing at its best and Jim Martin's Semi-Mental Journey a feature for MD Donnelly on alto...it was as if to say: Hey, I too can play! Talking of being able to play...the orchestra's special guest, pianist Marcus Brown certainly could do just that! As Bill Watson pointed out Brown's resumé is quite something - as pianist, composer, arranger, Brown has worked with countless star names including James Morrison, Tina Turner, Richard Ashcroft and Madonna. He also finds time to score Hollywood movies!  

Musicians Unlimited, with Josh Bentham blowing tenor, went out on Sweet Georgia Brown

Musicians Unlimited: Mick Donnelly (MD, alto sax); Kevin Eland, Bill Watson, Bob Temple, Dave Harrison, Alan Catherall (trumpets); Neville Hartley, John Day, Helen Grainger, Peter Morgan (trombones); Josh Bentham, Sue Ferris, Mark Toomey, Barbara Fagan, Jill Nelson (reeds); Ian Bosworth (guitar); Marcus Brown (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass, bass guitar); John Bradford (drums); Ernie Jackson (percussion); Jan Spencelayh, Paul Skerritt (vocals) 

Earlier the Festival Band (with Marcus Brown, piano) directed by Bill Watson presented a programme of familiar and not so familiar big band charts. The sections were populated by some familiar faces - the rhythm section of Richard Brito, guitar, Mick Shoulder, double bass and drummer John Bradford to name but three - and some less familiar faces. MD Watson is steeped in the world of big bands and it came as little surprise that charts by the likes of Bill Ashton (NYJO) and Lennie Niehaus formed the nucleus of a fine set. Saturday's competitive action gets underway at eleven o'clock.      
Russell

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