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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

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

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