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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15867 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 874 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (Sept. 25).

From This Moment On ...

September

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Sat 30: John Pope Quintet + Late Girl + Shapeshifters @ Bobik's, Jesmond, Newcastle.
Sat 30: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

OCTOBER

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Free Spirits, Corner House Hotel, Thursday 12 March. Report by Russell.

Lewis Watson (ten/sop), Neil Harland (bs/bs.gtr), Dharambir Singh (sitar), Bhupinder Singh Chaggar (tabla and electric percussion).

The function room of a suburban public house was the meeting place for Eastern & Western musical traditions in the form of Free Spirits. Following a triumphant concert performance at the recent London Jazz Festival local jazz fans and interestingly, non - jazz fans, were in attendance for this eagerly anticipated event. The evening began with sitar and tabla establishing the framework for the first of the ragas. The slow tempo encouraged Lewis Watson to enter the proceedings on tenor and ace bassman Neil Harland was right there setting down a funklike feel which he maintained throughout the evening. A series of ragas unfolded with all four musicians reacting to the subtle shifts in emphasis from one or other of the quartet. Bhupinder Singh Chaggar, at times displaying bewildering hand speed, encouraged numerous change of tempi within any one piece. His musical compatriots were quick to respond and at times there was thrilling interplay between two, three or indeed all four musicians.

The second set began with Singh Chaggar and Harland locked in an exchange of rhythmic ideas which, at its conclusion, drew much, fully deserved, applause. A Harland original, written in memory of percussionist Bruce Arthur, brought the quartet together once again. Dharambir Singh dazzled in his improvisation on a scale - Watson took up the challenge - and a flurry of notes went to and fro. The fusion of classical Indian music and jazz worked so well, that, at times, a coherent sound emerged rendering the labelling or categorisation of the music somewhat redundant. Free Spirits - four virtuosi. Free Spirits hope to play another concert in the north east later this year. Watch this space. (Sittar info.)

Russell.

Photos

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed it - reminded me in places of the Joe Harriott Indo-jazz fusions albeit with a more contemporary feel. The sitar had me fascinated with its individual fret tunings and unusual fret spacings. Do they play from some form of tablature?

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed this concert also. What a joyous marriage of art forms and also how nice to see people of different cultural background come together in mutual respect and friendship to make lovely music.
I found the following link for some info. on sitar and tabla.
http://www.soolaba.com/instr.htm
I'm looking forward to their next JNE gig in the autumn and would recommend anyone to go.
Unique and special!
Roly

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