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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

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club: Just Friends @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guest band night w. Richie Emmerson, Ian Bosworth, Dave Archbold, Ron Smith, Mark Hawkins. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

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.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Chomping @ The Cherry Tree. Jim Birkett Trio with Sue Ferris.

Jim Birkett (gtr), Sue Ferris (ten/flt), Neil Harland (bs), Rob Walker (dms).
Delightful, the word that springs to mind. Refreshing is another.
No furrowed brows required tonight this is good, honest, straight down the middle jazz and no cheating - as a certain Mr Basie was once quoted as saying when asked to define his kind of music - it's mine too.
The band sans Sue opened up with, to quote Jim, "Stomping at the Cherry Tree" or should it have been "Chomping at the Cherry Tree" because, as I have said before, the food is very chompworthy.
Sue came on and blew "All of Me" shades of Lester or Zoot and the perfect accoutrement to Scottish Smoked Salmon with Shallots, Capers, Sour Cream and Lemon Rye Bread. I'm not sure if Sue influenced my tastebuds or the Scottish Salmon coloured my eardrums - either way they worked well together.
"Don't Get Around Much Anymore" - not true in my case - had some very masculine tenor from Sue and I hope she will treat that as a compliment and not an overtly sexist remark. What I mean is the sound was big and booting as befits the song.
Paradoxically, on "Killing Me Softly With His Song", played on flute the feeling was totally feminine - OMG! Lance, when you're in a hole stop digging! Just shut up and eat your main course.
Let's talk turkey.
Roast turkey breast or should I say chest? Chipolata sausage, Winter Vegetables, Cranberries and Red Wine Sauce. In its own sweet way as palatable as "All The Things You Are". Jim had some flowing lines that dovetailed around Sue in a most fugue like fashion.
Interval time.
All of the tables appeared to be taken and the diners were generous with their applause. On the next table a guy was making a pass at his girlfriend by which I mean he was name-dropping Joe Pass then looking in the direction of Jim Birkett - knowledgeable crowd tonight.
Ron - the man who Barbicaned Rollins - was in, along with good lady and son. We chatted about Gunther Schuller's conclusion that Rollin's "Blue 7" from his "Saxophone Colossus" album was the perfect jazz solo - maybe.
Now Sue Ferris would be the last person to compare herself to Sonny Rollins - she's prettier for a start - but there were times during her solo on "On the Sunnyside of the Street" when I felt it would be impossible to select a better combination of notes.
Being Xmas, the obligatory seasonal tunes were played. "Xmas Song" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" being the chosen ones.
Now Xmas songs are much maligned among musicians but generally speaking they are darn good tunes that with different words would be year round standards.
The final "Wee Small Hours" delivered on flute was positively poetic and bore comparision to the Mulled Fruits and Ginger Ice Cream that I finished off with - both hit the spot.
A couple remarked as they left, "This place has a buzz about it."
I think she's right.
Lance.
PS: Not forgetting 'Mister Perfect' on bass and the sensitive drumming of Rob Walker - he too had an almost melodic solo on "Sunnyside of the Street".

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