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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

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.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. POSTPONED!
Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two.
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

Sat 16: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ Sage Gateshead. 2:00pm. A Jazzy Christmas + Jambone.
Sat 16: Porritt & Barrett & Friends Xmas Special @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:00pm. £4.00.
Sat 16: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 16: Red Kites Jazz Band @ The Staithes Café, Gateshead. 7:00pm--9:00pm.
Sat 16: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Ellingham Village Hall, Chathill. 7:30pm. £12.00., £8.00.
Sat 16: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Sat 16: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Second night of two.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Fenner Sisters Blitz Durham

(l-r) Grace, Kay and Jill Fenner.
The Market Square is awash with GIs & Marines, Gobs & Tommy's, Waafs & Wrens. Jeeps and armoured vehicles are parked. A guy with three stripes on his arm is brandishing a Bren Gun. There's even a couple of SS men goosestepping to the music. The only person missing is Hitler.
On the Town Hall steps - The Fenner Sisters, resplendent in number one Waac uniform, are "In The Mood".
Grace, Kay and Jill have got the Andrews Sisters down to a fine art. I'm sure that Patti, the only surviving sister (aged 91) would approve.
The harmonies are right on and the moves straight out of "Stage Door Canteen."
"Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", complete with verse, "Apple Blossom Time" and, of course, "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" are spot on with the originals.
And it isn't only Patti, Maxene and Laverne who inspire the girls; they also put in a good word for arguably the greatest of all the girl groups - the Boswell Sisters - with "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter".
Nostalgia? Of course it is and tell me what's wrong with that?
The superb backing tracks, by the Dave Connolly Big Band, could have came straight from Dorsey or Miller whilst there's more than a hint of Benny in the clarinet solos and Harry in the trumpet licks.
The 30 minute set whizzs by like a Spitfire or a Hurricane off to notch up a few Messerschmidt's. So authentic is it all I'm half-expecting the air raid sirens to go off.
The Ministry of Misinformation (local website) announced that the jitterbugging jamborees stomped off at 13:15 & 14:45 respectively when in actual fact the times were 12:30 & 14:30 - an earlier show had already taken place at 11:30.
Fortunately, my driver, after seeing my pass (bus) had got me there in time for the 12:30 landing.
A great day and not even a Doodlebug to mar the proceedings.
Can't wait to catch then again - these gals must be the best thing to come out of Sedgefield. Check them out on Myspace.
Lance. (The last of the few).

6 comments :

Grace Fenner said...

Hello Lance

Thanks so much for the lovely article! Was nice to meet you on Saturday - hope to see you again soon!

Grace (the one with the dark hair in the middle!)

Scott said...

thanks lance for the great review you gave my mam's (grace) group's gig at durham market place.

was just wondering out of interest if you've heard any of drummer seb rochford's polar bear. they're a really interesting new jazz group from london.

all the best,
scott

Lance said...

Hi Scott - yeah the Fenners are great. I caught Polar Bear at The Cluny in Newcastle a couple of years back and I must confess they were a bit too contemporary for my taste. However, the audience, many of whom were my age (think Methuselah), loved them so maybe next time round I'll appreciate them more.

Jim said...

A day to remember, the sparkling Fenner Sisters with Dave Connoly's backing tracks saw to that.
Nostalgia has never been so good. When is the next party Durham? Soon we hope!
Valerie, Jimmy and Jane.

Scott said...

I saw Polar Bear at the Cluny it was actually October last year, was a good night. Hope you like em more the next time round!

Jeannie said...

Your mam thinks you're great as well! lol

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