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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17372 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 656 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (Sept. 17).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 1:00-2:45pm. Free.
Sat 21: Vieux Carré Hot Four @ The Beehive, Hartley Lane, Earsdon Whitley Bay NE25 0SZ. 4:30pm-6:30pm.
Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sun 22: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Richard Herdman @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 22: Remy CB Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:30pm. Free. Remi, 2024 Newcastle Uni graduate, superb soul/blues voice!

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Paul Booth with the Paul Edis Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert! SOLD OUT!

Tue 24: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv. from Tully’s of Rothbury). Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 24: Sarah Gillespie @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £16.50. Duo performance with Chris Montague.

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra UK: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Middlesbrough Theatre. 7:30pm.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The 3 B's @ The Sage. Tuesday Dec. 11.

Big Chris Barber Band: Chris Barber (tmb); Mike Henry, Peter Rudeforth (tpts); Rick Exall, Ami Roberts, Peter Brandsmar (reeds); Joe Farler (gtr); Jackie Flavelle (bs); Gregor Beck (dms).
Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band: Acker Bilk (clt/vcl), Ron Drake (clt); Enrico Tomasso (tpt); Ian Bateman (tmb); John Day (bs); Ritchie Bryant (dms); ? (pno); ? (bjo).
Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen:Kenny Ball (tpt/vcl), Ben Cummings (tpt); John Bennett (tmb); ? (clt); Hugh Ledigo (pno); Bill Coleman (bs); Nick Millward (dms).
(Review by Lance.).
Hall One was 3 tiers full - mainly people of a certain age who recalled the Trad Boom of the 1960's. Where did they all come from and why don't they, say just 10% of them,  support local jazz clubs?
However, that is a question for another day. Tonight was all about nostalgia and, despite the longevity of the leaders (287 years), some very good music.
The Barber Band, it has to be said, led the Parade by the length of Bourbon St which was of course their opening number. Lots of early Ellington including Rent Party Blues, Jungle Nights, Merry Go Round and a tremendous version of East St. Louis Toodle-oo. The saxes on this one were absolutely sublime. They also shone on All Blues from Miles' Kind of Blue Album. Barber may be a bumbling announcer but there's nothing indecisive 'bout his 'boning. The tone has mellowed with the years although, when the occasion demands it, he can growl like Tricky Sam.
They played a few of the hits the most effective being Petite Fleur featuring Exall (or was it Brandsmar?) on clarinet. Beautiful sound. 
Throughout the set the stage lighting was used to good effect and added greatly to the ambience.
----- 
Acker was wheeled on stage in a wheelchair - the result of a fall, they said, - but nevertheless managed to retain his distinctive sound particularly in the chalumeau register. The 83 year old was at his most effective singing and telling gags. His fellow clarinettist Ron Drake was another matter. A very facile Goodman/De Franco style player he stood out as also did Enrico Tomasso who is never less than brilliant. Bateman played some lusty trombone and the rhythm section, some of whose names I didn't catch, kept things stomping along.
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Kenny Ball too was dependent on a bumper up in the form of Ben Cummings who blew trumpet like Kenny used to do. As in the case of Acker, Kenny was featured mainly as vocalist opening up with that good old good one So Do I. Sentimental Journey - how appropriate! - Midnight in Moscow. a jazzed up piano version of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor showcasing Hugh Ledigo and Someday You'll Be Sorry were some of the numbers that followed. It was all great foottapping stuff but it was also bus time so I reluctantly had to draw myself away from what had been a glorious evening of nostalgia.
See you next year guys - I hope.
Lance.

3 comments :

Paul Thompson said...

The Barber band(s) were nothing short of superb. That reeds section was absolutely amazing and the whole ensemble was just so balanced and tight with impeccable phrasing. The arrangements were incredibly good. I could have listened to that band all evening - absolutely wonderful!
It was sad to see a player of Acker Bilk's calibre reduced to this. He was out of tune and his phrasing was poor, as was his timing. He was really struggling and should hang up his clarinet.
Kenny Ball looked like some ghastly animated waxwork and did a lot of "business" directing the band. It was something of a cheek, I thought, for him to refer to Ben Cummings as "Second Trumpet" when he was clearly lead trumpet! I watched Ball closely and he was barely playing. There were too many "fill-ins" such as the piano trio playing the jazz version of Bach's Toccata in D minor and the extended drum solo from Millward was just too much for too long. The nepotistic arrival of Ball's son to sing the Jungle song was another step too far and kissing his father had me wishing I'd had a convenient sick bag. Barber- brilliant! Bilk - Sad! Ball- add an S!

Lance said...

Fortunately I'd left for the bus so I missed the Jungle Song! Strangely - or perhaps not - when I checked my review of last year's concert the program for all 3 bands was practically identical! However, I know where you're coming from and, although I totally agree with you, my heart overrides my mind and I was surprised and delighted to see so many turn out. What would be good would be if Acker did the announcements for Chris Barber!

Paul Thompson said...

I completely agree with you about the announcements, Lance.

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