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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).

Monday, February 06, 2012

Anth Purdy @ The King’s Arms, Seaton Sluice. Sunday 5th February

Anth Purdy (gtr).
Arriving at a freezing, wind-swept Seaton Sluice – to the north Blyth’s off-shore wind turbines winking and waving through the gloom, the reassuring pristine-white St Mary’s lighthouse to the south – the King’s Arms was a welcoming sight from the main road. Would there be room at the inn? Just about – snug was the word. The beer ranged from session beer Deuchar’s IPA (3.9%) to the formidable Old Peculier (5.6). I opted for a pint of the formidable. 
A beautiful f-hole Gibson in repose, an as yet unoccupied stool, things were set fair. 
Guitarist Anthony Purdy cut a figure; youthful, chiseled looks, sharp suit, braces ‘n’ all. The publicity poster for the gig – ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’ – extolled the genius of Charlie Christian and Les Paul. Perhaps we’d hear reference to Barney Kessel or our own James Birkett? Purdy, a personable character, name-checked a raft of jazz ‘n’ blues guitar greats - Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, T-Bone Walker, Les Paul and Hank Marvin. ‘Hank Marvin!’ I hear you say. Why not? This was a guitar gig by a rockabilly player digging into the history of the music. He assumed – rightly – that the audience wasn’t a bona fide jazz crowd and mixed it up to good effect. 
Almost all of the tunes were Purdy’s, drawing heavily on the styles of his guitar heroes. Furthermore, Purdy worked with his own rhythm guitar backing tracks throughout. ‘Backing tracks!’ I can hear the hoots of derision from here. Don’t knock it, I say. Each of the tunes was brief and to the point. Purdy thought this rather apt as the guitar masters of the 30’s and 40’s were restricted to little more than two minutes due to the limitations of the phonographic recording process of the era. 
Stompin’ at the Savoy opened the set followed by any number of albeit highly derivative original compositions – Swiss Miss, Jazzin’ with the 125, Paris 1939, Dustbowl and others. Another pint of the formidable in hand and a second set of more of the same went down well. The 6 O’clock Jive, Mockingbird Swing, Jitterbug Stomp and Ain’t Misbehavin’. Purdy presented an entertaining set of tunes, lovingly played with a distinct jump-jive feel and this made for a welcome change to the usual take on the period guitar styles. 
The King’s Arms’ publican is supportive of Purdy’s efforts and there is another chance to hear him on Sunday 4th March (check out Bebop Spoken Here nearer the time). Meanwhile visit Anthony Purdy’s Myspace page – www.myspace.com/swingjazzguitar.uk
Russell      

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