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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.

Saturday, March 06, 2010

Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Campus, Sunderland University. Saturday 6th March.

Chief BSH correspondent Lance Liddle reviewed Friday night's excellent concert featuring the BBC Big Band's Paul Jones in concert with the Festival Big Band at the Bonded Warehouse on the south bank of the River Wear. The concert served as an hors d'oeuvre to the main course of two days of the best in big band jazz. A short riverboat shuffle (were there such a thing) across the river to Sunderland University Students' Union's north bank 'Campus' HQ and the music resumed at that well known jazz hour - eleven o'clock Saturday morning.
----- The Youth Section opened proceedings with four bands taking part: Durham County Youth Big Band, Paraffernalia (a Gateshead schools' band directed by David Blakey), Northumberland Youth Jazz Orchestra (directed by Dave Hignett) and Wigan Youth Big Band. Durham County Youth Big Band swept the board - Outstanding Soloist, Best Section (saxophones) and Best Band. The Open Section attracted a large number of bands from the north east and beyond. Durham University Big Band rattled through a few numbers including Arturo Sandoval's 'Rhythm of Our World' (good work on trumpet/flugel by Ian Hartley) and 'Fascinating Rhythm'. Durham University Alumni Big Band (directed by Shaun Eland) and North Tyneside's Strictly Smokin' Big Band featured in their ranks Budvivarian keyboards man Chris Finch. One of the tunes Finch & co. played was the Yellow Jackets' 'Go-Go'. During his time on stage Finch coped admirably as all about him collapsed - well, the legs of his keyboard fell apart. Undeterred, our piano man said 'play on!', balancing the keys perched on his lap - this was improvisation at its best! The Strictly Smokin' outfit, with Steph Adams taking the vocals, took on a more contemporary tune in Oasis' 'Wonderwall'. Adams was one of several vocalists to be commended during the two days of competition.
Another pop tune - the Average White Band's 'Pick Up the Pieces' - was in the set list of Lancaster University's competition entry. One from the jazz canon, Neal Hefti's 'Lil Darlin'', featured perfectly realised muted trumpet work from Jenny Hughes. Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra, a big band with a big reputation, arrived in Sunderland a little late having set off from Lancashire at a very early hour only to encounter traffic problems en route. The band got down to business straight away and their offering included Lennie Niehaus' 'Monday's Child'. Jennifer Grimshaw played some excellent flugel horn on this one. The orchestra's tenor saxophonist won the prize for Outstanding Soloist. A team of Black 'n' Whites (aka Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra - the inaugural winner's of this event seven years ago) ventured into hostile Red 'n' White Mackem country (Sunderland to the uninitiated) in an attempt to run off with some glassware; Sunderland, being home to the National Glass Centre, commissioned glass trophies were somehow appropriate. The orchestra performed as a standing unit, eschewing the conventional arrangement of chairs and stands, creating a vibrant street-band feel to the performance similar to the Chilli Road Band or the anarchic 10th Avenue Band.
Last up for examination was the Leeds College of Music Big Band. This band was superb. From the first few bars there was only one winner. Dynamic arrangements, razor-sharp sections, no contest. The band's rhythm section won a Special Prize and Best Section prize and the full band scooped the prize for Best Band. An evening concert followed featuring Leeds College of Music Big Band, Durham University Big Band and Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra. Russell.

1 comment :

cptfinch said...

thAnks for the good review Russell. I'm glad to have provided some comedy entertainment. Leeds' band were outstanding. I also enjoyed the Wigan band - they played some catchy pieces.

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