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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.

Saturday, March 02, 2013

Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ North Shore. March 1, 2013

(Review by Russell).
The curtain-raiser to the tenth annual Great North Big Band Jazz Festival featured a new name as guest performer and competition adjudicator – multi reeds virtuoso Pete Long. A star-studded quintet led by Paul Jones (alto) and Long (clarinet) breezed through a selection of tried and tested numbers. 
Opening with Cherokee at quite a lick introduced the rhythm section; Colin Haikney (keyboards), Neil Harland (electric bass) and drummer Adrian Tilbrook. Stone Fox Chase (the theme tune of the Old Grey Whistle Test) worked well in showing off Long’s command of his instrument. Altoist Jones, an alumni of the County Durham Youth Big Band, blew vigorously and the tunes flew by including Creole Love Call, a Chick Corea number and a Rollins’ calypso. 
The second half of the evening featured the fearless young composer James Hamilton working with a hand-picked festival big band. One and a bit rehearsals over recent weeks (snow drifts made things difficult) was scarcely time to get acquainted, let alone knock into shape a big band and produce a concert performance. Hamilton was able to draw upon senior professionals to join the sections of promising young players from the north east of England; Bill Watson (festival organiser), Gordon Marshall and Thomas Hill* ensured that the trumpet section was up to snuff, pianist Colin Haikney stayed on and the talented Dave Mckeague held down the drum chair. The purpose of this endeavour was to highlight the talented stars of tomorrow. The genial Hamilton spoke warmly of his charges and gave every encouragement to stand up and take a solo. All the more impressive that four pieces were compositions from the pen of the bandleader. 
A newly commissioned piece - Open Season - put the band through its paces and none flagged. To think that the seasoned pros were once in the position of these aspiring young musicians, generations apart but together in music. Fantastic! Bill Watson took the baton and called up Jones and Long together with Neil Harland to join the band to run through a few standards. Where is the Love? featured Susie Roberts (alto) and James Burchmore (tenor) and the young duo went for it. The select audience sensed this was their big moment and the applause afforded these young musicians typified what this event is all about. 
The concert ended in rabble rousing fashion with C Jam Blues on which everyone got the chance to blow (Pete Long briefly grabbed a flugelhorn!). A great start to the weekend. Saturday and Sunday is when the competition proper gets under way with workshops for the early birds and prize winning big band performances from around midday ‘til late. Literally hundreds of young musicians will play across the weekend. If you’re in the area call in to North Shore (Sunderland University’s Students’ Union) on Charles Street in Sunderland – you’re in for a treat!                
Russell.
County Durham trumpeter Thomas Hill has won a place at Leeds College of Music. Hill can be heard on the local scene standing in the trumpet section of any number of bands - and you can’t mistake him, he takes after Maynard Ferguson and frequently tries to take the roof off! Congratulations Thomas and good luck.

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Good to meet you Russell. I and my 2 friends also enjoyed the night. They had not previously been to the festival and liked it. I hope they will return with me next year
Elaine

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