Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 2023).

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!"

Postage

15260 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 279 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (March 29).

From This Moment On ...

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Jambone @ Sage Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (book online). A YMP! event in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 01: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 04: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 04: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Bradley Johnston (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations. Feat. John Pope, Marie Shreer, John Garner.
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 06: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Note earlier start time.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 07: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 07: Finntet + Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion @ Bobik's, Punch Bowl, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.
Fri 07: TBA @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Blind Pig Blues Club.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

RIP Brian Fisher


It was with great sadness that I read in the paper tonight of the death, on 12 May 2008, of Brian Fisher Hartness aged 86. Brian was respected in jazz circles as a bass player, pianist, critic and dedicated enthusiast. He played with many bands including the Joe Young band but was perhaps best known as bass player with the late piano legend, Peter Jacobson during their residency at the Five Bridges Hotel in Gateshead. Although he moved to Hampshire 14 years ago, he kept in contact by telephone with his many friends in the north-east and never stopped listening to jazz of all persuasions.

The funeral is at Southampton on 27 May 2008
Goodbye Brian we loved you.
Lance and Marlene

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hi Lance.

So sad to hear that!!!!my father used to love Brian's piano playing, because of the Ellington & Monk influence...but at least he had a good innings...

Regards
Colin

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about Brian - he was the Paul Bream of our day with his weekly jazz column in the Journal. It was the only means of finding out about new gigs
The first non trad gig I attended was Peter Jacobson's first gig at the Conaught Assembly Rooms in the YMCA near Greys Monument
Peter had a great deal of help from Brian who was very proud of his success

Anonymous said...

Dear Lance and Marlene,
I am Brian's brother-in-law, writing from Hampshire.
Lynn , my wife, is Brian's younger sister.
We were delighted to receive your card today, and I've looked at your website. It was very kind of you to write an obituary, for which many thanks.
Interestingly, we have put the same photo of Brian on the sheet for the Church service.


Cheers, Mike Hollingworth

Anonymous said...

Dear Lance and Marlene,

I am Philippa, Brian's niece. Im very touched by your obituary and by the comments left by others & I hope you dont mind my adding to them.
Brian was much loved by all of us, his family. He was kind, funny and generous, when we were kids he always had his hand in his pocket digging out pocket money for us and often treated us to days out, & weekends away from boarding school & was always ready with silly jokes & daft nicknames for us all ( i was forever known by him as twinkle! )
His tales of his days in the RAF and of playing in his various bands were legendary as were his piano skills in the local pub at xmas!
In later years after he moved in with my parents he became a constant in our lives, always there when i arrived for a visit & home will never be the same without him, the sound of his beloved jazz music that always floated through from his living room has fallen silent & he is sorely missed.

Brian the very last time we spoke, you called me your champion parachutist & i will always think of you everytime im airbourne.
with much love from Philippa ( Twinkle ! )

Anonymous said...

Hi Lance,
Thanks for your message about the death of Brian as I hadn't heard the news. I will be delighted to add to your blog.
Brian was one my oldest friends from the jazz scene, dating back to 1957 when he & I joined the new Mighty Joe Young band & it's sad to think that the only surviving members, apart from myself are Joe, Jackie Denton & possibly Leo Harwood who I met at the Swanage Festival in 1999--- he was living in Bournemouth & in good health at that time. Brian Clark, Hughie Aitchison, Ronnie McLean,Trevor Johnson & J.B. Walters have all since been long gone.
Brian, at that time, was a very enthusiastic bassist who was a "cut - above" the trad. "slappers" that I had previously worked with & he was also very knowledgeable about obscure tunes & chord changes. He also played some minimal piano, being the only pianist that I know who played with 8 fingers ON the keys & both thumbs UNDER the keyboard. He had no piano technique but was unique.
But his greatest contribution to the band was the fact that he was in the motor car business & he was always able to provide transport for the band for "away" gigs. As an ex RAF pilot, he never flew the band anywhere, but he once drove me down to Sutton Bank & took me up in a glider, an experience that I will never forget.
He was, of course, responsible for looking after the late Peter Jacobson, in his early career & they remained in contact right up to Peter's death. Brian used to ring Anne & I regularly,keeping us informed of his health & Peter's musical progress & occasionally boring us silly with news of Ellington & Strayhorn recordings, who were the love of his life, almost to the exclusion of all other jazz music.
Just before we came to France, it was obvious that his health was failing -- he had had several "blackouts" & he was becoming very deaf, to the point where it was difficult to hold a two way conversation with him. Brian was a genuine "character" who didn't need to work at it He was always a kind & generous man & good friend to me & he will be remembered with affection by all those who were part of that very vibrant period of jazz in Newcastle.

Kind regards ----- Bill Harper

Blog Archive