Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17470 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 744 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Oct. 23).

From This Moment On ...

October

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 6:30pm. £12.00. (at the door, no advance sales).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: John Garner & Tobias Sarra @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 24: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Desert Island Discs’.
Thu 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:00pm. Free (donations). Thu 24: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Thu 24: Faye MacCalman + John Pope Quintet + Moonfish @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Donations.
Thu 24: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 24: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. Guests: Kevin Eland (trumpet), Neil Brodie (trumpet), Dave Archbold (keys), Adrian Beadnell (bass), Mark Hawkins (drums). 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 25: Russ Morgan Quartet @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: The Clare Teal Five @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 7:30pm. £25.00. All-star line-up.
Fri 25: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 26: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:15pm. Free.
Sat 26: Donny McCaslin @ The Engine Room, Tanners’ Bank, North Shields. 3:30pm. £15.00. + bf. McCaslin ‘In Conversation’, focusing on his association with David Bowie. Kevin Armstrong (David Bowie) will read from his biography.
Sat 26: Donny McCaslin Quartet @ The 1856 Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm. £25.00. + bf. Standing gig with limited seating at the bar. McCaslin with his American quartet in North Shields!
Sat 26: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £3.00. +bf.
Sat 26: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Queen’s Hall (Library), Hexham. 3:00pm. Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. Rescheduled to Sunday 3rd November.
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ The Black Candle, Dean Road, Westoe, South Shields. From 5:30pm. To reserve a table call 07724 234449. ‘Jazz by Candlelight’.
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 27: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.

Tue 29: ???

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

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Thursday, December 31, 2009

CrescENDo

I bought the first issue of Crescendo in July 1962 and for many years I was a regular reader - I even contributed an article to the April 1970 edition - then it disappeared for a while before returning on a subscription only basis which is when I jumped ship.
Looking at that first edition with Woody Herman on the cover I noted the editorial described it as 'For musicians and would be musicians.'
Perhaps this was both its strength and its weakness. Not enough fan appeal.
Also in that inaugral issue were articles on Basie, Peterson, Jack Parnell, George Chisholm and Nelson Riddle.
Les Evans' reed clinic provided valuable hints for sax/clarinet players as well as including serial numbers for the different makes thus allowing you to put a date on an instrument.
Ocasionally a score would be printed - Horace Silver's "Filthy McNasty" is one that springs to mind. Just what every musician needed, you might think.
I recall, around the time it made the first of several re-appearances, I worked in a music shop that stocked the revamped Crescendo. A prominent local musician came in to the store to buy some reeds.
"It's back!" I said excitedly, thinking I was going to make this guy's day.
"What's back?"
"Crescendo - its back on sale again."
"Really?" he replied as he held a Rico number 4 alto reed up to the light examining it closely for any irregularity of texture - or whatever is it was that we sax players used to look for - I never quite knew. Now they are sold in sealed packs so that rigmarole no longer takes place.
I showed him an article by possibly Cannonball Adderley or Phil Woods.
No interest whatsoever.
The moral of the story being - don't depend on musicians to buy magazines (or to support other musicians' gigs come to that).
Still it is sad to see it go as it covered ground the other jazz mags with the exception of Down Beat didn't.
RIP.
Lance.

1 comment :

Roly said...

I used to get the Crescendo for quite a few years. As you say Lance, very much a 'technical tips' type of magazine. There used to be a regular article by guitarist Ike Isaacs - a harmonic master who was apparently greatly admired by Joe Pass and our own Martin Taylor. I remember reading, with detached curiosity, Leslie Evans' amazing technical dissertations on sax embouchure, reeds, mouthpieces, lay etc etc. It was a unique magazine with it's own specialised readership I suppose. Talking of Leslie Evans, I am reminded of his brother George, a legendary player and arranger, who lived and played locally later in his life. I found this link below which may be of interest to younger players and jazz fans who may not know of him and his great achievements.
Roly
http://www.jazzprofessional.com/profiles/George%20Evans.htm

Blog Archive