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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Darlington Jazz Festival @ The Forum Music Centre. April 21 (& 22)

(Review by Russell).
The first Darlington Jazz Festival was a tribute to the late Alf Hind. I didn’t know Mr.Hind but having heard fulsome tributes to the man it is clear that he was and is held in the highest regard by all who knew him. Musician and educator, he taught brass in schools throughout Darlington, directed the Darlington Youth Big Band for many years and took students to the Royal Albert Hall to perform at the School Proms with the likes of Sir John Dankworth and Ronnie Scott and found time to tour America with his young charges. The festival was about Hind, his family (present at the Forum), former pupils, colleagues and friends. 
A former pupil helped put together this event: Shaune Eland, himself a musician and educator, wondered if a weekend event would work. He needn’t have worried as it was/is a total sell-out! Saturday, the first day of two, ran for twelve hours. Two spaces - main hall and bar – offered big bands in the larger space and small group sessions in the informal setting of the bar.

The big bands – Durham County Youth Big Band, the Bush Big Band, Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form Big Band, Little Big Band and the Darlington Big Band - spanned the generations from those scarcely in their teens to those some sixty years and more further down the musical road. 
The elder statesmen, with one or two young bloods, formed the ranks of the Bush Big Band and the Darlington Big Band. The material was, for the most part, classic big band charts – Basie and Kenton to Goodwin and Monk. Highlights were many not least the Darlington Big Band’s scorching work-out on the John La Barbera arrangement for the Buddy Rich Big Band of Monk’s Straight No Chaser. Richie Emmerson has taken on the task of running the band knowing he has a legacy to maintain and on this hearing the future looks bright. Future stars will undoubtedly emerge from the youth ensembles. Durham Music Service has established an amazing production line of talented, developing youngsters. It is a case of hard work all round. Tutors of the calibre of Shaune Eland, Steve McGarvie, Ian Robinson, Chris Hibbard and others have the magic formula; professional expertise, boundless enthusiasm and the ability to transmit their love of the music to the musicians of tomorrow. One of those younger musicians – guitarist Joe Williamson - played a set in the bar backed by a seasoned trio. It was great to hear him out front, going for it. 
The bar sessions (including a session by the Sound Wave Choir) concluded with a late night set by the Jazz Tones. The quintet, led by trumpeter Shaune Eland, warmed up with a couple of numbers. Eland and his frontline tenor partner were keen to step aside and grab a well-earned beer. Jam sessions can be hit or miss affairs. This one was a hit. In fact it hit the bullseye. Matt Roberts (flugelhorn) – one of the Durham County Youth Big Band alumni – studied at Leeds College of Music and Trinity College of Music and now in, his early twenties, here he was, back on home ground tearing the place apart on a couple of Monk numbers. Alongside him, trading blows, was another alumni member, Alex Baker (sister Amy on bass, tutor Steve McGarvie on keyboards and the excellent Steven Fletcher on drums). You know how it is…a thousand gigs, they’re all good, some very good. This was great and then some! Trumpeter Jonny Dunn had worked throughout the day doing the door, doing this, doing that (typical festival work!) and late night, beer in hand, he just happened to have his horn close by. Well, he got up, joined in the Monk fest and this was as close to jazz paradise as you can get. Roberts, Baker and Dunn – three fantastic musicians, products of the County Durham jazz scene, the Alf Hind legacy.
Russell.

3 comments :

Shaune Eland said...

Many thanks Russell for your report - on behalf of everyone involved in organising this festival can I say a big thank you to all the musicians and the audience. It was a fantastic weekend that was full of good music, good food, good beer and at times very emotional. I know Alf's family were delighted with the tribute and were in attendance at all sessions. We want to run this again next year and intend to highlight the jazz talent in the (wider) North East with a mixture of youth and experience - provisional date is April 23/24 2013,

ah bigband said...

Hi Russell, i can't believe there is no mention of the Alf Hind Big band in your write up...

Russell said...

I was at the festival on the first day only (Saturday). The Alf Hind band performed on the Sunday. If anyone would like to post a review that would be great!
Russell

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