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Bebop Spoken There

Delfeayo Marsalis: "Slide Hampton once told me that it's not always the person that is playing the highest or playing the fastest that's making the greatest impact." - (DownBeat March 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 21: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass guitar); Bailey Rudd (drums).

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - this week only.
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Monday, November 08, 2010

Free Thinker: Soweto Kinch - Freedom: A Guide To Listening. The Sage, Nov. 7 - Review by Harley Johnson

Rana Mitter (Radio Presenter/Professor), Soweto Kinch (Speaker/Alto Saxophone) On my way to the Jazz Cafe Jam Session and subsequently the Ingrid Laubrock gig at the Bridge Hotel, I called into the Sage Gateshead for a large cappuccino and a 'free' discussion/lecture by Jazz Saxophonist/Composer/Rapper Soweto Kinch.
Joining Soweto was the BBC Radio 3 Presenter of the programme 'Night Waves' and Professor of the History of Modern China at Oxford University, Rana Mitter.
There was a fairly large crowd present in Hall Two and I couldn't help but notice a table on stage with an alto saxophone placed on top. Was this going to be a lecture and discussion through music rather than words?
Before the session commenced, Rana informed the audience that this would be recorded and broadcasted on Radio 3's 'Night Waves' in the near future. We also had a practice run of Rana's hand gesture for applauding to make this broadcast sound conventional. We welcomed Soweto with a massive applause and, instead of moving towards the saxophone, it was to his notes on the relationship between music and emancipation.
He would, however, pick up the saxophone when he began talking about the blues and how it changed over the years in coherence to the black man's civil rights in America. Soweto first played a blues from the Duke Ellington Orchestra, before moving onto the bebop era and began playing Charlie Parker's 'Now's The Time' with a short but elegant solo.
Although this was all we heard from Soweto's alto, there were some musical intervals in between his speech; again relating to the civil rights: including Sonny Rollins 'Freedom Suite', Max Roach 'We Insist - Freedom Now' and Charles Mingus 'Fables of Faubus'.
Jazz wasn't the only thing on the menu! There were also clips from English punk band 'The Clash' and The Specials 'Ghost Town' in relation to the radical poltics in the punk/rock era of the 80s. During the discussion between Soweto and Rana there was an opportunity for members of the audience to give their own views on matters which ranged from emancipation to the origins of Soweto's name and T.V. talent shows.
To sum up the event, I think we can all agree that music can still be used to portray our feelings and thoughts on the current climate of society, politics and world affairs. Or how I would also say that music should not be abused by record labels and popstars for fame and fortune.
There was no standing ovation but there may well be at the Soweto's gig at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival 2011 and will be playing songs from his new album 'The New Emancipation' which is available now.
Harley Johnson.

1 comment :

Russell said...

Good review Harley. Hearing Soweto play Jeep's Blues was great.

Russell

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