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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

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

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.

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.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Use it or Lose it - Grass Roots Jazz in crisis.

Jazz Festivals abound in all parts of the country and by all accounts are well supported. Certainly the ones I've visited over the past few years - London, Gateshead, Scarborough, Lockerbie, Whitley Bay (now Classic Jazz Party) - have been well attended. Southport and Cheltenham appear to be going from strength to strength so why aren't the festival-goers supporting their local scene.
I can't speak for other parts of the country, and I'd be interested to hear from anyone involved in jazz promotion, but here in the north east of the UK it seems as though "fans" are reluctant to turn out in sufficient numbers to make jazz a viable proposition for any well meaning entrepreneur. 
Even free admission gigs where bar takings decide on the bands future are taking a hit. An exception could be quoted re the various lunchtime trad sessions that abound in the NE. However, as these are in the main the habitat of the elderly, I doubt if much cash flows over the bar from the half of bitter they make last for a couple of hours!
Is this a nationwide malaise or just a local one?

5 comments :

Steve Andrews said...

It's just the same over here in Cumbria, I'm afraid (I do more gigs in the NE than the NW!). Two Jazz Clubs: Carlisle -every Thursday; elderly audience, predominently "Trad/N.O." (although not entirely); and Kendal - once a month, wider brief from N.O. to quite modern and all points in between. Faithful, fairly elderly audience. Pub gigs virtually none existent and rarely last more than a few weeks, except for more Rock/Blues based stuff like Fusionhead, Olly Alcock Band, etc., which can appeal to a wider, younger audience.
I know from my own kids - both musicians, 23 and 19, that jazz has no relevance to them or their musical tastes, and they were brought up with the music!
I'm very pessimistic about the future of Jazz at local level, although, paradoxically, many of the latest crop of young/younger players, are much better than we were - e.g. Paul Edis, and several others I've heard or played with.....

Jack Davies said...

In terms of bums on seats at least, the London scene is pretty well supported amongst audiences of all ages. Yes obviously things could be better, and Jazz Festival is much busier than the rest of the year, but the small clubs have a pretty regular crowd of often young people who are very into the music.

Tony Dudley-Evans said...

Things are quite good in Birmingham with consistent audiences for most events, ranging from 30 to 350. Cobweb Collective/Conservatoire associated gigs also do well. I think it is the range of the music that is put on that is the attraction and there is a reasonable age range in audiences

Babel blog said...

Guessing from these comments, and based on own experience in London, could it be the necessity to evolve a new generation of audience? It's a mixture of type of gig, price and ambiance. Possibly also that there isn't a new generation of organisers, who tap their friends and the jazz zeitgeist of 2012. How can we get the urban buzz of London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds through to the grass roots?

Carbon Unicycle said...

I don't think it's a local malaise or even nationwide. For the last four years I have been lucky enough to be in Japan at the time of the Tokyo Jazz festival and I have seen it steadily dwindle. I think that it's a matter of finance. I think the talent is definitely there, but these days it's difficult for some new comers to get off the ground. I am lucky to live in London where there are a few clubs around and a few new ones popping up. I mourn the disappearance of Ray's Jazz shop (now in Foyles) and the Bass Clef etc. Perhaps universities could host festivals (eg showing free Jazz movies) that would perhaps generate interest? I don't think that Jazz will disappear. It will have its ups and downs, but it will always be there.

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