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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

17328 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 612 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (Sept. 5).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ BAA Fest, Brownrigg Lodges, Bellingham. 2:40pm.
Sun 08: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 08: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: ???

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.

Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.

Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Courtney Pine: Transition in Tradition - Homage to Sidney Bechet. The Sage, Gateshead.

Courtney Pine (sop/fl/bs clt), Omar Puente (vln), Zoe Rahman (pno), Darren Taylor (bs), Cameron Pierre (gtr), Robert Fordjour (dms).
Omar Puente (vln), Zoe Rahman (pno), Darren Taylor (bs), Cameron Pierre (gtr), Robert Fordjour (dms) + (congas).
I have yet to discover the tenuous thread that links tonight's concert to Sidney Bechet. None of the tunes were Bechet related and nor did Pine employ a Bechet vibrato yet, upon reflection, the connection was there. Back in Bechet's day it didn't matter who was in the band, Sidney took over the lead. His powerful sound swamping all but the mightiest and, likewise, Courtney isn't one to take a back seat either.
A sombre, almost dirge-like drone by Puente and Zoe was augmented by a series of off-stage cadenzas from Courtney - on bass clarinet. Eventually, he entered stage left, still playing. The tension increased and so did the volume then KERPLUNK!!!!!! he was away on the wildest, craziest, bass clarinet solo I'd ever heard - up to that point! He may have been playing bass clarinet but he was blowing harmonics up and above your normal Bb clarinet range.
Moving on to soprano he blew the blues inside out merging them with some rhythm changes in an amalgam of Lester Leaps In, 'Tain't What You Do and Symphony Syd. He even took on Puente in a soprano/violin battle.
Earlier, Omar Puente had played his own opening set without Courtney but with a conga player and it was a good merging of jazz/latin/rock.
On the Steinway, Zoe demonstrated why I fell in love with her (playing) at Gateshead Old Town Hall on her last visit and the flame still burns this time around.
Courtney played a ravishing version of In A Sentimental Mood on soprano and an affectionate tribute to the late Joe Harriott. There were also moments of beauty on Courtney's flute features.
When the band played Au Revoir one could be excused for thinking this was the last number followed, perhaps, by a brief encore. Delete the word 'brief' and you've got it in one.
For the encore, everyone soloed then were dismissed by Courtney who, left with just bass and drums, descended into the audience. He marched up and down the aisles and along the rows hi-fiving members of the audience whilst playing one handed and if he stood on somebody's toes I doubt if they minded If he'd stood on mine I'd never have polished my shoes again! It was stimulating and exciting although, because of the self-imposed limitations of one-handed playing, it was a bit like the Vuvuzela Concerto at times!
It was all good fun and the audience loved it.
Great show Courtney, nice set Omar, marry me Zoe.
Lance.

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