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Bebop Spoken There

Charles McPherson: “Jazz is best heard in intimate places”. (DownBeat, 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

16611 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 1504 of them this year alone and, so far, 50 this month (July 23).

From This Moment On ...

July

Sat 27: BBC Proms: BBC Introducing stage @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free. Line-up inc. Nu Groove (2:00pm); Abbie Finn Trio (2:50pm); Dilutey Juice (3:50pm); SwanNek (5:00pm); Rivkala (6:00pm).
Sat 27: Nomade Swing Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mississippi Dreamboats @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 27: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Cafédral, Owengate, Durham. 9:00pm. £9.00. & £6.00. A Durham Fringe Festival event.
Sat 27: Theon Cross + Knats @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 10:00pm. £22.00. BBC Proms: BBC Introducing Stage (Sage Two). A late night gig.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm.
Sun 28: Miss Jean & the Ragtime Rewind Swing Band @ Fonteyn Ballroom, Dunelm House (Durham Students’ Union), Durham. 2:00pm. £9.00. & £6.00. A Durham Fringe Festival event.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Nomade Swing Trio @ Red Lion, Alnmouth. 4:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 28: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 28: Milne Glendinning Band @ Cafédral, Owengate, Durham. 9:00pm. £9.00. & £6.00. A Durham Fringe Festival event.

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: ???

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

August

Thu 01: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00.
Thu 01: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 01: Elsadie & the Bobcats @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 02: Mainly Two @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT! Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. POSTPONED!

Friday, December 02, 2011

Get your kicks on Elkie 66! - Elkie Brooks @ The Sage, Gateshead.

Elkie Brooks (vcl); Stevie Jones (ten); Melvin Duffy (gtr); Brian Badham (bs); Andrew Murray (keys); Lee Noble (keys/perc/vcl); Michael Richardson (dms).
This was AWESOME!. It had been 30 years since I'd last heard Elkie live. What would she be like? Had the voice held out? Was she now a frail old lady of 66? Would anyone turn up?
They turned up - boy did they turn up! Hall One was packed up to the rafters - this seems to be the norm for this tour - Sold Out notices everywhere.
Deservedly so. The voice, like Lilac Wine, has matured, ripened with age.
Age? What's that? This chick looked younger now than she did all those years ago (at least from Row P she did!)
And the agility! Elkie strutted and moved like a teenager before giving out with that rusty nail edged voice.
The old faves were here, Lilac Wine, Pearl's a Singer, Sunshine After The Rain, Fool if you Think it's Over etc plus belters like Gasoline Alley, Nights in White Satin and tender moments such as Perry Como's first hit Till The End of Time. Elkie explained that it was number one the year she was born - 1945. I think Perry would have liked Elkie's version - maybe even been a little jealous! If Billie Holiday had been around today she may have sounded like Elkie!
There were also selections from her latest CD - Powerless.. (Xmas hint here...)
Our girl looked stunning. A diva style gown for the first set, and, let's face it, she's a diva's diva, contrasted with  the slinky black number (see CD cover) she wore for the second set. She looked good in both.
The band provided great backing with Stevie Jones blowing some outstanding jazz/rock tenor.
This was some gig - I fell in love with Elkie back in 1980 doggone it but here I am in love again with the same sweet you!
Lance.

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with every word written. Elkie is looking great and sounding great.Love her doing Freddie Kings "Tore Down" Her new "Powerless",cd is sooooo good. Her version of "To Make You Feel My Love" is just the best. I heard a French person say " if Elkie Brooks was French she be be made a national treasure" sounds good to me.

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