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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.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Millstone.

Fred Rowe (tpt.vcl); Barry Soulsby (clt/vcl); Laurence McBriarty (tmb); Brian Bennett (bjo/vcl); Brian Sibbald (bs); Fred Thompson (dms.vcl).
(Review by Lance.)
It was good to hear the VCJ again - it had been a while - and I'm pleased to say that the slings and arrow that are occasionally thrown their way have not affected their enthusiasm and indeed skill. They have never strayed away from the dictum that jazz is entertainment and entertain they certainly do.
As I bellied up to the bar to order a pint of Doom Bar Bitter - one of several real ales on offer - the band were looking back at the old Skiffle days with Worried Man Blues. Indeed with the recent drastic cuts in Arts Council Funding there must be a lot of worried men and women singing a worried song - let's hope they won't be worried long!
Fortunately, bands such as the VCJ aren't in the funding scuffle - their music is much too happy for that!
Fred Rowe sang of Miss Magnolia's Wedding Day, Fred Thompson crooned Buddy Bolden's Blues and I ordered a Cumberland Feast. This comprised; Cumberland Sausage, Fried Egg, Chips, Peas and a Boat of Gravy. 
Milenberg Joys, I Get The Blues When It Rains - Soulsby and Rowe doing the vocal - Rowe made like The Schnozz (Jimmy Durante - ask your ma!) on Inka, Dinka Do (They don't write them like that any more!) and I anticipated my Cumberland Feast.
The set finished with Soulsby singing Ace in the Hole and I licked my lips at the thought of my Cumberland Feast. I wondered if they'd had to send to Cumbria for it?
The barmaid approached - she had an apologetic look on her face.
There'd been a breakdown in communication and my order had been lost. However, it was now being processed (cooked) and would I like a drink on the house?
I said that I thought that a splendid idea and another pint of Doom Bar more than made up for the wait and I have to say that when the Feast did arrive it was as fine a piece of Cumberland Sausage that I have tasted outside of Cumbria. Full marks for food and customer relations.
Back on the bandstand Soulsby was singing Everybody Loves My Baby (was it Billy Harper or Eddie Thompson? who used to call it - Every Baby Loves My Body?), he then played Stranger on the Shore - it was a request, like The Saints, it always is!
Fred Thompson sang At The Jazz Band Ball - substituting his own words for Johnny Mercer's! They were ok. Barry and Fred sang Shine and Ann Alex remarked on how subversive the lyrics were!
I guess you have to treat them in the context of the time when the song was written (1910)
Fred Rowe sang I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover which he'd re-written as I'm Getting Over The Worst Hangover That I've Ever Had Before! Good Time Jazz - no other way to describe it and, although I've concentrated on the vocals the solos and the ensembles were first class.
A visit to The Millstone is worthwhile.
Lance.

1 comment :

Ann Alex said...

About those lyrics to 'Shine'. I hadn't noticed them before but I guess the song is highly ironic, and refers to the problems that black Americans had. For instance black musicians weren't allowed to play in certain venues under colour bar rules.
Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed this gig.
Ann Alex

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