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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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!"

Postage

15260 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 279 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (March 29).

From This Moment On ...

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Jambone @ Sage Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (book online). A YMP! event in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 01: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 04: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 04: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Bradley Johnston (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations. Feat. John Pope, Marie Shreer, John Garner.
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 06: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Note earlier start time.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 07: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 07: Finntet + Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion @ Bobik's, Punch Bowl, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.
Fri 07: TBA @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Blind Pig Blues Club.

Sunday, February 03, 2013

Nick Svarc Trio @ The Bridge, Newcastle

Nick Svarc (gtr); Martin Longhawn (org); Steve Hanley (dms).
(Review by Lance).
This was a high powered gig that hit the deck running with some fancy stick work from Hanley. This wasn't your usual Organ Trio band. No funky grooves (at least not initially), instead, floating ephemeral sounds that, before our very eyes/ears, built up into a groove merchant thrash and from Newcastle we were transported by the magic of sound to Harlem, or was it Detroit? or maybe the South Side of Chicago?
These three push all the buttons, tick all the boxes. You want funk? you got it? You want Jazz? It's right there. Maybe you want to go a little towards the outside? They'll take you there and bring you back in one piece.
Svarc, joined at the hip to a Gibson 335,  produced some amazing sounds and ran through the changes like the morning after effects of a Chicken Madras. Yes contemporary they may be but the roots were there. Night in Tunisia still stands up to the test of time and I guess it always will as long as young guys like this have it in their repertoire.
Not surprisingly, given that they had a Scofield tune in their set, Svarc is obviously one of the great man's leading disciples
Steve Hanley is not only an exciting drummer but he also composed several of the compositions. What is the world coming to? Drummers who are also musicians? One day we may even have politicians who appoint Arts Ministers who realise that jazz too is an art..One of Steve's numbers - don't ask me - there weren't many announcements but this one, a funky opus that crept up on me, brought to mind Mohammed Ali because it "Floated like a butterfly - at first and then, by Round 12, it stung like a bee - and in case you think this is a crit - it was a honey bee!
On the Nord CI Langham produced some near Hammond sounds - close your eyes and you may or may not detect the difference. 
It was a great gig and well worth waiting to catch the later 27 bus.
Lance.

2 comments :

Val Clemens said...

great article Lance, they sound very talented, and I especially like what you said about appointing art ministers..... and how ironic you mentioned Ali, my son sent me a film on Twitter of Ali when he came to visit South Shields, then my son added to this by saying the ex boxer is nearing the end of his life very sad..... best wishes to you.

Lance said...

Val, Ali was perhaps the last great boxer, To me he was a jazzman doing with his fists and his body what a jazzer does with the sax or the trumpet or whatever - dealing with it!

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