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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 2024.

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...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Alexander Stewart & Alex Webb Trio @ Spice of Life. Special guests Denys Baptist & Abram Wilson

Alexander Stewart (vcl), Alex Webb (pno), Gary Crosby (bs), Andy Chapman (dms) + Denys Baptiste (ten), Abram Wilson (tpt), Paul Pace, Rosemary, Jennie, Christine (vcls).
Was this a gig or was this a gig!?
Alexander Stewart is one of the best young singers I've heard in many a year. Okay, so he relates to Bublé and, by those musical genetics to Sinatra, nevertheless he is is his own (young) man.
He literally took The Spice apart with his versions of "Too Marvelous For Words", "Young at Heart" and a variety of other standards such as Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". "I'm in the Mood For Love", "Love me or Leave Me", "Body and Soul" plus a few originals written by pianist Alex Webb.
When Denys Baptiste joined in on tenor it became a kickass evening. The highspot for me was "You Don't Know Me". Baptiste's tenor scorched the rooftops whilst Alexander turned it into a 2009 torch song.
Something else!
There were so many more gems throughout.
Paul Pace sang a couple then introduced three girls who each did their own thing. After Rosie and Jennie had sung and swung "East of the Sun" and "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" respectively, a lass called Christine raised the game with her take on "Anthropology" - wow Christine I love you!
Then, just when you thought it was all over, during Alexander's final set on came Abram Wilson who blew some terrific trumpet on "All of Me". Abram has gigs coming up at Canterbury, Milton Keynes, London and beyond so check him out - he is the business.
To make the night complete, I sat in a corner like that guy Jackie Horner and made conversation with a chap who was drinking his curds and whey. (So I'm mixing him up with Little Miss Muffet? Poetic licence!)
Guess what? He came from Durham! And he played tenor! We had a thing or two in common!
Nice to meet you Tom - we'll keep in touch.
Then there was my buddy the doorman - if Down Beat ever have a poll for Doorman of the Year you will be up there.
Super night.
Lance

3 comments :

Hil said...

Had a listen to Alexander Stewart on myspace and he is very good.
Only 21 yrs old from Manchester.
As Anne and Billy said to Zoe its great that youngsters are keeping the jazz flag flying.

Alex Webb said...

Thanks Lance for that great review of our gig last night.
I hope you don’t mind, I’ve posted your review on my Myspace and also stuck one of the live pics on my Myspace photo album – credited of course.
Many thanks for lending your ears! I’ll make sure you hear about other things we do.
Best regards,
Alex Webb
Media Relations Manager, Contemporary Music
barbican
t - 020 7382 6199
m - 07788 916768
e- awebb@barbican.org.uk
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

Lance said...

Hey Alex I enjoyed it but I omitted to lavish well deserved praise on yourself and the trio. Without you guys...

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