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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Revolutionaires @ The Water House, North Road, Durham. 4:00pm. Rock 'n' roll excellence! Line-up inc. Pete Tanton.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Kurt Elling & Sheila Jordan @ The Southbank Centre/ Queen Elizabeth Hall. November 14

Kurt Elling vocals/ Laurence Hobgood piano/ John McLean guitar/ Clark Sommers bass/ Bryan Carter drums.
Sheila Jordan vocals/ Brian Kellock piano/ Kenny Ellis bass/ Stu Ritchie drums.
(Review by Debra Milne.)
This year's London Jazz Festival has featured a number of vocalists, and one of the highlights was the double bill of Sheila Jordan and Kurt Elling. Ms Jordan was accompanied by her favourite pianist Brian Kellock (who was also with her at the Sage Gateshead a few years ago) and his trio. 
Beginning her set with a low key Hum Drum Blues the lady soon got into her stride with Wouldn't It Be Lovely. The strength of her voice may reflect her 84 years, but boy can she swing, and the rhythm and phrasing of her scatting was immaculate.  A cheesy show tune transformed into a jazz vocal master class. This was followed by a bossa version of All Or Nothing At All, and Workshop Blues,  a self-penned tune she uses with her students, during which the audience and the entire band had a musical workout. 
The most affecting piece was Jimmy Webb's The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, and Kellock played such a beautiful solo, that Ms Jordan responded by placing a great big smacker of a kiss on his glistening head, whilst he was still playing. Her ability to deliver well timed, witty lyrics and vocalese came to the fore with Sonny Rollins' Pent Up House and in her last number, a blues in which she described her life story. As if relieved to have reached the end of the set, she held nothing back and her voice was more powerful. Yet there was something in reserve for Lament performed as an encore.
Kurt Elling and his band provided great contrast, although both singers use vocal improvisation as an
essential part of their performance. Elling's latest project, with long term collaborator pianist Laurence Hobgood, is a selection  of songs spanning several  decades, written in the Brill Building at 1619 Broadway.  Elling opened with a soaring Come Fly With Me, and this also showcased the band. The young drummer Bryan Carter and bassist Clark Sommers were set up as close as possible, and stayed in each other's pockets all night. 
Elling & Hobgood explored a number of well-known tunes, and their arrangements changed them into quite different pieces of music, exemplified by Sam Cooke's You Send Me. Guitarist Jim McLean's simple riff, and Elling's reworking of the melody, turned a classic pop song into something deeper and groovier. Elling also had some fun with vocal improvisation using electronic effects, before seguing into On Broadway, where the edginess of the drums and bass captured not only the mood of the lyric, but also that of New York City.  Most impressive of all was Elling's voice - the warm timbre maintained over a huge range, and his expressiveness and intonation. 
In songs such as I Only Have Eyes For You, he related the lyric with sensitivity, using his awesome vocal power with restraint. And all too soon, the set climaxed with Nature Boy, starting as a sweet ballad, which served as an introduction into an up tempo piece with extended solos all round. The band returned from their standing ovation with Kurt Elling and Sheila Jordan hand in hand - she watched most of his set from the side of the stage. The audience were then treated to a duet which included Moody's Mood For Love, with both singers providing additional vocalese  including references to the US election & Elling's (allegedly) cross-dressing bass player. Just Brill.
This show is due to be broadcast on Radio 3 on January 6 2013.
Debra Milne.

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