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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 21: Lindsay Hannon Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £15.00. ‘Swinging with Christmas Songs’.
Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 21: Jackson’s Wharf Xmas Party @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 7:00pm. Free. Featuring the New ’58 Jazz Collective.
Sat 21: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Sadly from Wally Nash

Keith Crombie and me, (I), us, (we) go back a long way. Way back. We met in 1959, standing in a queue outside the old Melbourne Street Jazz Club. Known as the New Orleans Club to the unknowing. I was in the RAF, stationed at Acklington. I was staying that night with my Mother who lived in Heaton. I don't know why or how but we immediately clicked and started a friendship that survived the years and the miles for all those years. I have lived mostly in America since 1974 but we stayed close. How could we not as we had enjoyed so much fun and so many. "jolly japes" and caused so much havoc over the years.
When he had Josephine's I had brought an American girl over and we went to see him. At the door he had a chalk sign listing the available wines.
RED WINE THREE POUNDS
WHITE WINE THREE POUNDS
There was a rather refined older couple at the door in front of us and the gentleman asked to see the wine list. For some reason this caused Keith great ire. He puffed himself up, went red in the face and in his own delicate style said very loudly, pointing at the chalkboard, "FUCKING RED WINE'S THREE POUNDS, FUCKING WHITE WINE'S THREE POUNDS AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT YOU CAN FUCK OFF"
The refined lady nearly passed out. Then he saw me, pushed them out of the way and grabbed me and dragged me inside. What a wild night that was.
We were together during the Downbeat, the Club Agogo, the Whitley Bay Agogo, the Marimba and El Toro days. We went to Paris with Mike Jeffrey and Terry McVay carrying a load of carpets to fit out a Club, Mike had bought into in the Place D'Pigalle called Le Chat Mady, (I think) It was another wild time. We had set out one night to find the French equivalent of Newcy Brown. It took a while but after about four hours we found something that might pass for Newcy Brown but of course we had so much other bevy by then we didn't know what bloody day it was. Walking, or rather shambling along the banks of the Seine, (Keith never walked, he always shambled. And he never walked straight  He always leaned towards you as you walked pushing you ever closer to either the wall or the road depending on the direction of travel, all the time "fucking and blinding about stuff")
We saw a couple, (a man and a woman) standing next to a car with the bonnet up and staring at the engine. "let's give them a hand" he said. I was not keen as I sensed we were heading for disaster.
"What's up mate", he growled "Need help?" Lucky for all concerned they spoke English. To cut a long story very short, the guy turned out to be the Director of Development, (whatever that was) for Colgate Palmolive in France. The lady was the wife or mistress of a French MP, and the two of them were having a fling and he had to get her home. Keith dived into the engine and I hid around the corner as I knew no good could come from this. I heard the sound of an engine turning over and then I saw a flash of flame and there was a small fire in the engine compartment which eventually went out.
"What the fuck do you think of that he said. A fucking fire. Any way its out now. Just don't ask how I put it out" I gather a stream of Geordie pee was involved. Anyway, we went and got mu Dormobile that we had used to smuggle the carpet in and saved the couple's day and maybe their life by getting her home on time.
Lots more happened in Paris and in London and yes we did have a meeting with one of the Krays and we did run a Club together called the Cannonball, (a la Cannonball Adderley) and we did have phenomenal fun at Seahouses every Bank Holiday causing mayhem to all so called normal people.
I have a feeling he now has a little seedy heavenly club "up there" . Probably playing the Saints!
God Bless you Sunshine. You were,(are) a one off. There will never be another like you. How the hell could there be?
Wally.

3 comments :

Lance said...

Thanks Wally, I couldn't leave this as a mere comment but had to give it a full posting!
See you Monday.

Eileen Campbell said...

Thank you for sharing your memories,very entertaining

brian ure said...

After all these years I've just come across this lovely piece from Wally Nash that vividly brought back to life the wonderful character that is (please note never "was")Keith Crombie.
A very generous man if he took to you and always remembered the things that we shared. Like the time that two guys followed us, when leaving the New Orleans, down Melbourne Street determined to have a fight for some imagined wrong. Over some distance I managed to talk them out of this stupid idea and they wandered off. He was mightily impressed and regularly recalled it. Actually Crombie was not to be messed with. I remember one night at the NOJC the door to the little room that served as a cloakroom was firmly closed and behind the door it was a bit noisy. Someone explained in hushed tones " Crombie is kicking the shit out of Frenchie"(real name Gascoigne but not Peter)! Never found out why but not my business! Lost touch with him, and the other characters who regularly went to a little bar off Strawberry Place, when I moved away in 1985/6.
Thanks Wally.

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