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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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

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: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Dropping Bombs @ Sage Gateshead June 28.

James Harrison (pno/Hammonds); Ian Simpson (gtr); James Robson (bs); Dave Donnelly (dms); Belinda Voshtina (vcl); Ray Dales (alt).
(Review by Lance, photo by Elaine Harrison)
Dropping Bombs continue to explode - can anyone tell me how long it is since such a young north east band could play with such feeling and respect  for the music that is the backbone of modern jazz?
The material is unbeatable - Sonny Rollins' St. Thomas lays waste to most of the 'originals' that roll off the conveyer belt. The secret? - its simplicity! Ray Dales took it to the Caribbean and back via 52nd St.and made it sound as if it were written yesterday! James Harrison and Ian Simpson kicked it along beautifully and Dave Donnelly knocked seven shades out of the kit.
These kids (exclude Ray from 'kids' although he is still one at heart) know where they're going and even if it is down Route 66 it's still better than the A1(M).. I don't know why some people knock standards, the  Gasbook is the greatest collection of music ever written and, idiom wise, comparable with the best of European classical music.
There were gems galore tonight - Ray Dales playing Just Friends, Now's The Time, Belinda singing Why Don't You Do Right? Slower than Peggy but just as effective. Moondance, Frim Fram Sauce and Every Day I Have the Blues showed her off to great advantage. Harrison laid down some funky Hammond grooves on this one
Take the A Train had Ray swinging like Bird and the two James, Ian and Dave travelled along in the First Class carriage.
From the bowels of the concourse musicians emerged carrying instrument cases - they'd obviously been rehearsing - yet not one of them stopped to listen to what was going on on stage.
It was their loss.
Two people who did appreciate the music were a couple of swing dancers moving in perfect synchronization to the music. Later when the tempo slowed for Lover Man the dancing became elegant and graceful - well as elegant and graceful as you can be wearing jeans and trainers!
Move It On featured some intriguing interplay between the Hammond and guitar and James Robson gave further evidence of his jazz chops. Then, just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, Belinda sang Summertime. In her defence, she sang it better than most. St James Infirmary Blues showed that these young guys have an eye on the past as well as the future which in my eyes is commendable.
It was a splendid evening (free) and I'm grateful to Elaine and Terry for supplying the photos taken under impossible lighting conditions.
Lance.

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