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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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock).
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 11: Mo Scott Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv.). Country blues guitar & vocals.
Sat 12: Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.28, £11.16, £9.04. A two-track recording launch gig.
Sat 12: Stuart Turner @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues etc. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 12: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 8:00pm. Free. New trio: Paula Whitty, Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy.

Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Emma Wilson @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 13: Catfish Keith @ The Cluny. 7:00pm. Country blues.
Sun 13: Cath Stephens & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Stephens & Grainger, one third of a triple bill.
Sun 13: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by Nina Simone, performed by Nicholle Cherrie.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass), Bailey Rudd (drums).

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Jazz Singers in the Making at The Sage.

This is another article in my occasional series of pieces about the jazz singing classes at the Sage.  Lance refers to the class as The Factory, but let me tell you, Lance, that the course is meeting with some success.  Past graduates include Claire Kelly, (She does a superb version of I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face) and Gabi Heller (she can scat for England, or rather Germany).  These two have already started on their jazz careers – watch for them in the listings.
There are about 20 students in the class, including 5 men.  (Why are most jazz vocalists women?  Traditional I suppose).  About half of us have been involved previously, and we have various backgrounds, including a man who has been a drummer, and someone else who works as an actor.  And that’s just the people that I know about.  Last week’s warm up exercise was a spot of flamenco, more difficult than it sounds.  Just you try counting 1 2: then 1, 2, 3 etc up to 10, whilst stamping and also clapping on some of the numbers as well, it gets very confusing, but it quickens your wits.
There are various types of voice, all interesting to listen to, and lots of different interpretations of the songs.  Listening to what other people make of the songs is part of the  delight of jazz singing.  For example, a sad song such as Every Time We Say Goodbye doesn’t have to be soft and gentle but can be sung passionately and louder, like a cry for help.
We have a lovely selection of songs for this term:- It’s Alright with Me;  Don’t Get Around Much Any More;  A Foggy Day; Every Time We Say Goodbye; and Girl from Ipanema.  This last song has given rise to much post class discussion about whether it makes much sense if you substitute ‘Boy’ for ‘Girl’.  Joy of joys, we’ve been supplied with the actual verse part for Foggy Day, a challenge indeed, which I may take up.  I was amazed to learn that some people in the group didn’t already know Foggy Day and Every time We Say Goodbye, but then I remembered that I was, er, shall we say, a little older than some of the group, who were too young to have been hearing these songs as they grew up.  Ah well!  And Ipanema is interesting because we can ‘vamp’, which means that the band plays a groove and we start the song when we feel ready, and the same for the ending.  Lyndsay our leader warns us not to get too carried away with power, 16 bars is enough time to wait!
I must thank our tutor Lyndsay Hannon for instructing us each week so ably, and also Alan Law on the piano, who has also produced a useful tape for us to sing along to at home.  
During the next 2 weeks we’ll be working with ‘our’ band, the lovely Blue Jazz Quintet, to prepare for our end of term gigs at the Newcastle Jazz Cafe, when we each sing about 3 songs, for an audience of family and friends.
And then what happens to us?  And Who knows Where or When?
Ann Alex. 

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