Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Wendell Brunious: "Because the blues is not 1,4 and 5 or 1,4,5,2,1. You could wake up with a flat tyre or a headache this morning, that's the blues, man" - (DownBeat, Oct. 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

15878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 885 of them this year alone and, so far, 83 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums). CANCELLED!

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: TBC @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 07: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 10:15am. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 07: Bugge & Niccols + Moore & Fairhall @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - All the Things You Are. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rie Nakajima @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Sat 07: Samuel Blaser Trio + Toxvaerd & Zeeberg + Muramatsu & Welch @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Monday, December 21, 2009

That Was The Year That Was

Nothing is ever clear-cut in the jazz world and the "Sound of Surprise" covers more than just the actual notes played.
Paul Edis - not just a first-class pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer but, in company with Adrian Tilbrook, via Jazz Action and the NEJC, an organiser and promoter too - has seen full and empty houses at the Side Café in Newcastle and at the hotel in East Rainton. The latter venue failed because, 'they' - the 'fans' said, it is too far from Newcastle. Yet 'they' managed to fill the room for free gigs for Julien Siegal and Tony Kofi but couldn't make it for local players. In their shortsightedness 'they' failed to see that by supporting the local talent they were laying down the foundation for more visits by big name musicians.
The latest Jazz Action venture is the Sunday night sessions at The Bridge Hotel in Newcastle. So far it has been well-attended so fingers crossed that the jazz-public doesn't do another U-turn.
Dave Weisser's Take it to the Bridge's regular Wednesday night at 'The Chilli' on Chillingham Road, Heaton is another paradox. Apart from the more than capable regular band, sitters-in drop by and there is a monthly set by the Alan Glen Trio, Budvivar and other big-hitting locals.
If Alan Glen changed his name to, say, Al Glendino, acquired an American accent and a Green Card he would be playing Birdland such is the man's ability. As it is, so-called 'Modern fans', seem to find the £1 admission too much yet happily pay £20+ at The Sage.
Crazy!
One currently successful venue is The Cherry Tree Restaurant on Jesmond's Osborne Road. The Monday night gig which couples Cordon Bleu Cuisine with first rate, accessible, modern jazz at reasonable prices deservedly draws a good crowd. Whether they are there because of or despite the jazz is a question that only time will tell.
Elsewhere, Roly Veitch at Blaydon and Mike Durham in North Shields strive to juggle diminishing grants and gate money to bring quality classic and mainstream jazz to their localities. Neither will say it is easy. Highlights for me at Blaydon were Vasilis Xenopolous (who also stormed the Cherry Tree), Janusz Carmello, John Hallam and intimate sets by Zoe Gilby/Andy Champion and Roly Veitch's trio with Noel Dennis and Neil Harland.
Over in North Shields, a return visit by French band Nany Swing, Keith Nicholl's Blue Devils with Jeff Barnhart and Dutch violin wizard Tim Kliphuis were some of the highlights.
An unconnected event was Ruth Lambert's highly successful CD launch in the same venue (The Saville Exchange).
Jazz North East and Schmazz at the Cluny had their usual innovative programmes of which I hope to have more in seperate articles.
The Festival scene was, for this year at least, quite healthy. The Sage Jazz Festival produced some of the most outstanding music the region has known with two superb sessions by Sheila Jordan - almost certainly our 'Gig of the Year'.
Joshua Redman Trio, Guy Barker's Big Band were just two other outstanding performances.
This year's festival also looks promising.
I enjoyed a third successive visit to Scarborough - the music and the ambience are just something else with too many great concerts to list here.
The Whitley Bay Jazz Festival again went well and this coming year looks to be even better however, unless a replacement can be found for Festival Director Mike Durham it will be the last bringing to an end a glorious celebration of classic jazz.
Likewise, at the other end of the musical spectrum, Gateshead's "On The Outside" Festival proved a great hit with fans of free improvisation but, sadly, a withdrawal of funding may contribute to its demise.
The trad scene continued much as before with The Maine Street Jazzmen, The Vieux Carré Jazzmen and the Rae Brothers dominating. Many of the sessions are lunchtime gigs.
There were, of course low points this year - very low points indeed.
The death of Jazz North East supremo Chris Yates being a major one. Sax player Darren Grainger and drummer Marshall Walker were two other deaths that hit many of us hard.
Nationally, but with local interest, Ian Carr's death was also a sad moment. An anniversary celebration of his life takes place at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall on Feb 23 which should be in all of our diaries. Ian was, arguably, the north-east's greatest jazz ambassador.
Internationally, the passing of Chris Connor, Blossom Dearie, Bud Shank, George Russell, Les Paul, Charlie Mariano...
Merry Xmas everyone.
Lance.

2 comments :

Liz said...

You are to be heartily congratulated Lance on this fine website. As a non musician a lot of the detail goes over my head,but having said that I have gleaned enough to listen to recommended clips & read up on some of the greats. The site's accolades speak for themselves so thank you & more power to your elbow!
Liz

Lance said...

Thank you Liz and thank you for your support and feedback. Likewise Russell, Roly, Hil, George M, John T and the others who have added their comments and posts.

Blog Archive