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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Fishwick: “I can’t get behind the attitude that new is always somehow better than old” - Jazz Journal, April 15, 2019,

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...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders.
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Film Review ‘Beware of Mr Baker’ Director Jay Bulger

(Review by Steve.)
This movie begins as it ends with the 75 year old Baker breaking the directors nose on camera by attacking him with a  cane. 
This is not so much a ‘Rockumentary’  as a ‘Jazzumentary’ for Ginger Baker is first and foremost a Jazz drummer although he found  fame and fortune with  cult rock outfits Cream and Blind Faith. To this day his drumming heroes are Phil Seamen, Max Roach, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones. As Eric Clapton says on camera he was in a different league to the two rock drumming  giants of the late 60’s and early 70s John Bonham and Keith Moon .
Clapton explains that Baker is not just a drummer but a consummate musician able to compose, arrange and lead. Amazingly, unlike the aforementioned two rock drum legends  he is still alive despite leading a similar life of debauchery and serial drug abuse.
Baker, age 14, first got into Jazz when acting as a decoy for a gang nicking records he heard Max Roach on the ‘Quintet of the Year’ album (the other four members were Dizzy, Bird, Bud Powell and Mingus) he stole the LP despite not having a record player and subsequently got ‘strapped’ by his mum when she found out.
 In the late 70’s Baker was the first musician to really get into ‘World Music’  and he went to live in Nigeria for several years to collaborate with the great Fela Kuti. Bizarrely it was also whilst in Nigeria that he got into Polo which has subsequently become a life’s obsession so much so that Ginger seems to have chukkered all of his money on importing dozens of horses to which ever country his nomadic lifestyle takes him.  
This biopic, like its protagonist, pulls no punches. It makes great use of archive photographs and animated charcoal drawings to illustrate scenes from  Mr Baker’s colourful past.  
Baker comes across as a thoroughly unpleasant character despite being one of the giants of modern Jazz/Rock drumming.  To be a member of his family either musically or domestically seems to have been a fraught and literally threatening experience. However, as far as this movie is concerned he is a riveting, engaging,  humorous yet frightening subject – recommended viewing!
‘Beware of Mr Baker’ - Tyneside Cinema 13:55 today (May 30).

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the very useful synopsis. I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie, although sadly I can't get to the screening at the (wonderful) Tyneside Cinema. I'll have to wait for the DVD release.
Ginger's still very active (I suspect the unfortunate reality is that he needs the money). Ginger Baker's Jazz Confusion features Ginger, Pee Wee Ellis on sax, Alec Dankworth on bass (son of Johnny Dankworth & Cleo Laine) and African "drum driver" Abass Dodoo on percussion. Jazz laced with African rhythm. They played The Cluny last year - I really recommend making the effort to see them (before it's too late!). Check out the upcoming tour dates here if interested http://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/ginger-bakers-jazz-confusion.
Thanks again for the film review. Whilst he's undoubtedly a "difficult" human being, his continued musical legacy's right up there with the best of them - and as you point out, covering more genres than most.
Cheers, Les.

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