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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

17328 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 612 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (Sept. 5).

From This Moment On ...

September

Tue 10: ???

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.

Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.

Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.

Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Jude Murphy, Steve Chambers & Sid White @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Panharmonia @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Swing Manouche @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: John Hallam with the James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

WJRK – 1984 to 2013

(By Roly Veitch)










In 1984 Newcastle based jazz trumpeter and vocalist Mike Durham formed his band the West Jesmond Rhythm Kings specifically to play the classic hot jazz of the 1920s. His band was totally dedicated to this unique repertoire, performing songs well known and obscure (invariably including the verse) all played with neat, polished and sometimes quite complex arrangements often in various contrasting sections and including breaks, harmonised passages, accented rhythmic figures, clever intros and endings, in fact all the 'tricks of the trade' used in the music of that era. This was no run of the mill, busking jazz band. The ensemble soon built a considerable reputation leading to jazz club and festival gigs all over the UK, abroad in France, Italy, Holland, Spain, Ireland and twice to the Chicago area of the USA.
I came into contact with Mike more in recent years due to my gigs with Keith Stephen (who played tenor banjo with Mike for many years) and with saxophonist and clarinettist Steve Andrews. It led to some very enjoyable sessions, on acoustic guitar and the occasional WJRK booking, deputising on tenor banjo. In the course of this I realised just what a great band WJRK was. My mother has some of their CDs (Jazz Lips, Jubilee Stomp, Shake 'em Loose) and they are never off the turntable.
As everyone knows Mike tragically passed away in March. He will be hugely missed for his contribution to jazz as a player, organiser and promoter. The band members have decided the time is right to draw the curtains on his beloved WJRK and the weekend of May 3 to 5 they fulfilled the band's final engagement at The Isle of Bute Jazz Festival. This delightful, long running festival, situated in the idyllic surroundings of Rothesay, featured many bands of contrasting styles, traditional to modern. WJRK played at The Victoria Hotel, The Pavillion Jazz Club, The Sunday morning church service at United Church of Bute and the jazz picnic on the Sunday afternoon. The line up for these final sessions was Brian Chester tbn, Derek Fleck clnt, Phil Rutherford sousa (all long standing band members). Ollie Rillands was on drums, myself tenor banjo and the band was admirably fronted by Edinburgh cornetist and vocalist Jim Petrie. All in all a very enjoyable but also a moving and poignant occasion. I like to think Mike would have approved of our efforts. Mike's wife Patti and her family came over from Glasgow on the Sunday to join the band for the final session.
Roly Veitch.
(More photos to follow)

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