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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Curtis Stigers @ The Sage, Gateshead.

Curtis Stigers (vcl/ten), Scrapper Sneider (tpt), Mathew Fries (pno), Cliff Schmidtt (bs), Keith Hall (dms).
This was a well attended gig. The Sage wasn't sold out but there were enough punters to fill the average jazz club for six months maybe a year.
Having said that, it wasn't a jazz audience - it was a middle class, 30 +, crowd with not quite enough '12 o' clocktails' under the belt to totally stray from their comfort zone. As a friend remarked, "When they don't clap after a sizzling solo (from trumpet player Sneider) you know it's not a jazz crowd.
Nevertheless, let's accentuate the positive side of things.
It was an enjoyable evening. Stigers didn't blow much tenor but his voice always has a jazzy tinge to it and the final "Wee Small Hours of the Morning" was a worthy addition to the rota of fine singers who have sang the Dave Mann/Bob Hilliard classic - it's also on his latest album.
The opener, "The Beatles' "I Feel Fine" had moments verging on the edge of hard bop with Scrapper Sneider blowing some telling Clifford Brown inspired phrases. On piano, Mathew also 'fried'.
Perhaps the best number was a Tom Waits ballad - the title of which escapes me - Curtis really got inside this one.
"My Funny Valentine", one of the few standards, was marred by an irritating drum rhythm early on but built up to such a fantastic climax that all was forgiven!
Bob Dylan, Annie Lennox, John Lennon, Joe Jackson were all represented in Stigers' choice of songs and whilst it may not have been jazz for the purist there was enough hovering around the edges to send all but the mosted bigoted fan home happy.
Love to hear him and the band in a club.
Only regret is that he didn't lay "Going Back To Joe's" on us.
Oh yes - one other regret - car park charges! Plenty material there for singing the blues.
Lance.

1 comment :

Liz said...

Hmm, well sounds as though it was a better bet than the Albert Hall performance, but to be fair that was never going to show him in the best light. I know what you mean when there is no recognition of a solo, you feel you want to applaud all on your own, and in fact I/we always do, it stirs the pilgrims!!Seems like "Wee small hours" is doing the rounds with the great & the good. It features on Barbra Streisand's latest album " Love is the answer" lovely number, and she does it beautifully..but then she can do no wrong in my eyes!
Liz

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