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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 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!"

Postage

15867 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 874 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (Sept. 25).

From This Moment On ...

September

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Sat 30: John Pope Quintet + Late Girl + Shapeshifters @ Bobik's, Jesmond, Newcastle.
Sat 30: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

OCTOBER

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Paul Wight (drums).

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Tyne Bar

Michael Lamb, Tom Hill,; Gordon Marshall, Pete Tanton (tpts); Don Fairley, Peter Morgan, ? (tmb);  Steve Summers, Nadiah Killick (alt); Paul Gowland, Jamie Toms (ten); Laurie Rangecroft (bar); ? (pno); Ed Carr (gtr); Michael Want (bs); Guy Swinton (dms); Lindsay Hannon (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
The last time I stood in the rain listening to a big band was in San Sebastian in 1973. It was the Clark Terry Big Band. Sitting in front of me was Hugues Panassie the famous French jazz critic. He was comfortably ensconced under a golf sized umbrella - he didn't invite me to join him! I didn't care, the music drowned out the rain if you'll pardon that silly statement!
It was the same today - if it had been cricket when the heavens opened - players would have raced to the pavilion but Jazz musicians are made of sturdier stuff. Perhaps God really does think that jazz is the devils music?If this is the case then I'm afraid to say that, with a cagoule, an umbrella, and a pair of ears, the Devil won the day.
Strictly Smokin' really is a cracking band and to their credit they played as if it were a sunny, summer's day.
In a band like this packed with soloists it would be churlish to mention individuals but, being a churl, descended from a long line of churls, I must praise Pete Tanton's trumpet solos. Americans, somehow just have that edge to their playing. Perhaps it's the accent merging with the music that makes it so distinctively jazzy.
Leader Lamb's playing has developed  immensely over the years and he can hold his own in any section as either soloist or team leader. Don Fairly has been in enough big bands over the years to handle whatever comes along. Those saxes! Steve Summers, Paul Gowland, Jamie Toms and the lovely alto lady Nadiah certainly did the biz with Laurie providing the depth to the section.
Michael Lamb gave me the name of the keyboard player which, unfortunately was lost. midst the products of Wylam Breweries.
And on guitar Edd Carr! How great to again meet up with and hear Edd, who's taking a brief break from cruising the seven seas. He may have put on a pound or two but his playing has come on a ton!
Swinton on drums - why don't we hear more of him? Great to hear the Ellington/Bellson feature, Skindeep, again after many many years. Guy did it proud as indeed did the sections interpreting those tricky parts.
Lindsay Hannon sang superbly despite some early volume problems. The gal's  tops in my books and when the amplification was sorted on Too Darn Hot we just wished the weather was the same - in fact we wanted the Orange Coloured Sky that Lindsay sang about earlier!.
Smokin' or Customs House? Basie or Ellington? Newcastle or Sunderland? Who cares? let's just be thankful we have these choices to make.
Lance.

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