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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

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.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

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

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Friday, January 21, 2011

Schmazz Factor @ The Sage Gateshead. January 20th

Schmazz @ The Cluny chose to present the 2011 Battle of the Bands event at The Sage in Gateshead rather than Schmazz HQ down in the Ouseburn Delta. It paid off in one respect - a good number of punters, some of whom were new to Schmazz, filled the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Triffid, formerly know as the Harley Johnson Trio, had the honour (drew the short straw?) of being first up for examination. Judging panel in place, audience attentive, the trio began rather quietly with pianist Johnson seemingly rumaging around under the lid of the Steinway looking for his sheet music. Ah, this was the performance! Bassist Ivan Scutt played quietly, perhaps too quietly. The set, in the form of a suite, rarely took off and it remained to be seen what the other entrants had to offer.
Hannabiell & Midnight Blue were, as they say, something else. Hannabiell is an energetic, all action, up and at 'em performer. Bass trombone, percussion and mbira were her instruments of choice. Her main instrument - trombone - was given such a working over that the great Gary Valente could well decline the offer of a toe to toe encounter. Blast after blast, legs and arms flayling, this was some show. The band - piano, bass and drums augmented by saxophone and two further percussionists played African jazz, funk and soul and more.
Paul Taylor, pianist with Long Lonesome Go, performed solo. Taylor took the time to talk about his approach to improvisation. Elements of twentieth century piano composition with, perhaps, a French influence were evident to my ear. This was a good set.
Soznak is a street band well know to shoppers on Northumberland Street in Newcastle. With the lights dimmed, the band - brass and rhythm section - marched into the hall with instruments lit by what appeared to be Christmas tree lights (an amusing touch, today they can go back into the loft until the end of the year). Leader Paul Miskin plays trumpet Township style, the band clearly enjoys the art of performance and it was a fitting end to the competition. The judges retired to deliberate over two hours plus of diverse musical entertainment. The interlude was the perfect opportunity to bring to the stage Carpus Trio winners of the inaugural Schmazz Factor competition. The trio gave a stupendous display. Virtuosic, tight, powerful, just great.
The judging panel returned to give its verdict. Triffid's drummer Rob Bates was commended, so too Paul Taylor. The winning entry - Hannabiell & Midnight Blue - was greeted with shrieks of delight.
Worthy winners, the band can be heard again (for free) in the King's Hall in Newcastle University at 4:00 pm, Thursday 3rd February. Russell

1 comment :

Ian said...

i think 'musical entertainment' is certainly the way it turned out. Unfortunately, i was hoping for jazz rather than theatre! the quieter entrants certainly shot closer to the mark for me.

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