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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15848 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 855 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Sept. 18).

From This Moment On ...

September

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Sat 30: John Pope Quintet + Late Girl + Shapeshifters @ Bobik's, Jesmond, Newcastle.
Sat 30: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

OCTOBER

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Swing City Quartet @ The Customs House, South Shields

Steve Andrews (ten/clt/whistle); Paul Edis (pno/fl); Roly Veitch (gtr/vcl); Roy Cansdale (bs).
(Review by Lance.)
In the big picture, I suppose I could be excused for referring to this as a low-profile gig although the 60.or so paying customers, myself included might disagree.
I'm not going to go out on a limb and vote it as my gig of the year but, tell you what, it's up there in a photo finish!
I can't begin to tell you - those of you who chickened out of visiting South Shields on a rainy Friday evening -  just what a delightful session this was.
I knew they were playing for keeps when they tuned up before going into Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.
Steve has acquired a new Conn tenor - 1928 I think he said which is new for him. It had a nice sound but, by the end of the tune he was back on the old faithful pre Adolphe Sax model. He sounded good on both instruments - Steve would sound good on a penny whistle. what am I saying? later on he did just that!
I Wished on the Moon - is there a better tune? and Roly sang it beautifully in that light jazz tenor voice that is so compelling. Compelling because Roly's vocals always convey the impression that he is going to miss the note and you hold your breath.
He never does.
Apart from the vocal and Steve's switch to clarinet the number brought Paul Edis into the forefront. Paul's fill ins behind the vocal were absolutely spot on and his solo reminded me, not of Bill Evans, but John Lewis with MJQ. Just some little chromatic phrases that stuck. And I speak with authority as I've just received 5 MJQ CDs to review! Which reminds me - anyone want to review Mile's last 5 discs?
Back to tonight.
Steve cut loose on clarinet on Struttin' With Some Barbecue moving over to tenor after Paul's solo. When the Mafia hear that Paul Edis has been playing Struttin' With Some Barbecue he'll probably be excommunicated. Moonlight in Vermont was as beautiful as that tune always is before Paul had a solo feature on Tatum's version of Tea for Two - awesome! The set finished off with Nuages and Tangerine.
Let me also mention Steve's patter - tonight it was really good and, if he ever hangs up his saxophones, a career in stand-up awaits - if vaudeville was still around he wouldn't be bottom of the bill.
The tin whistle emerged for a spirited version of All God's Chillun Got Rhythm (if only!).
The show rolled on and I didn't see anyone leave - how could they?
Roly sang The Touch of Your Lips (Paul on flute) and Fine and Dandy was just that!
Paul played Bix's In A Mist. He played it beautifully but, for me, it needed to be quieter, more subtle. This may have been the sound engineer cranking up the volume but I felt it lost the tenderness of the original or, say, Marian McPartland's interpretation. After all it is In a Mist, not Hurricane Sandy
Still, a minor quibble - Paul was brilliant throughout not least in Lester Leaps In when he threw in 8 bars of stride on the release - magic.
Steve superb Hawkins/Webster tenor, Goodmaneseque clarinet.
Roly a tower of strength on rhythm guitar and occasional inspired solos and vocals.
I haven't mentioned him until now but Roy Cansdale was on the money. Soloing only sporadicallyally he, nevertheless, ensured the rhythmic pulse was there and, who cares if there wasn't a drummer - nasty smelly things!
Take a bow guys.
My God I've never wrote a review of this length - it must have been good!
Photos.
Lance.




1 comment :

Jean Hogg said...

I enjoyed your review on Roly Veitch & Co (A damn good read)
I have always found his wistful voice so well matched to the intimate songs he chooses and his guitar style is bliss to my ears. Just bought the CD"Wrap your troubles in dreams"

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