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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

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.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two.
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

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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