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Bebop Spoken There

James Brandon Lewis: "Sometimes I'm not thinking about anything other than blowing the paint off the walls, and other times I'm narrating a story about my life." - (DownBeat June 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

15516 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 536 of them this year alone and, so far, 25 this month (June 7).

From This Moment On ...

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Jeffrey Hewer @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington. 6:00-8:00pm. Free.
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 11: Jam No. 19 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 13: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 13: Infusion Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 13: Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv.).

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 14: NUJO Final Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcastle. 6:30pm. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra's final jam session of the academic year. All welcome.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 15: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 15: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Thu 15: Alexander Ord Trio @ Tynedale Beer & Cider Festival, Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. Evening, time TBC.
Thu 15: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. Time TBC.
Thu 15: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 16: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 16: Stu Collingwood @ Baltic, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £15.75. A Let's Caper event featuring exhibitions, food, music etc.
Fri 16: Steve Beresford-Hannah Marshall-John Butcher @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. JNE promotion.
Fri 16: James Taylor Quartet @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Fri 16: Customs House Big Band @ Customs House, South Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 16: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 16: New Orleans Brass Band @ Billy Bootlegger's, Arch 2, Stepney Bank, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. NOBB directed by Jason Holcomb.

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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