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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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
The 10: Classic Swing @ Carlisle Rugby Club, Warwick Rd., Carlisle. 8:30pm. £9.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock). CANCELLED!
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 11: Mo Scott Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv.). Country blues guitar & vocals.
Sat 12: Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.28, £11.16, £9.04. A two-track recording launch gig.
Sat 12: Stuart Turner @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues etc. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 12: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 8:00pm. Free. New trio: Paula Whitty, Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy.

Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Emma Wilson @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 13: Catfish Keith @ The Cluny. 7:00pm. Country blues.
Sun 13: Cath Stephens & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Stephens & Grainger, one third of a triple bill.
Sun 13: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by Nina Simone, performed by Nicholle Cherrie.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass), Bailey Rudd (drums).

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Sunday, October 06, 2013

Bill Harper Remembers Part 2.

I actually got to play with Bruce Adams at a Festival in Nantes 2008. Lockjaw Davis was probably the first major saxophonist for me at the Corner House. Sid's sextet was playing & I could see Lockjaw standing at the bar with his glass of milk & brandy, listening to the band. When we came off I went over to him & politely asked what he wished to play for his opener to which he replied "I'll think of something when we get up there" to which I raised the possibility that I might not know it,& he replied "So you don't know it--- what the hell-- there's 1000's of tunes, we'll play something else-- now don't you give me a hard time & put me off my drink-- I heard you play, we'll be OK. The gig was fine which had a nice moment when he called Bye Bye Blackbird to which I asked "usual key of F? No! Eb he said. Derek Dixon said "Eh!" not hearing clearly & Lockjaw said "you got a problem in Eb?" "No said Dicker, which of course he hadn't. OK  said Lockjaw, but if I hear any wrong notes I'll have you back in the office in the morning!"
I always enjoyed working with Buddy Tate who was a real gentleman & Spike Robinson, in spite of failing health always had different & interesting material but gave you a free hand to interpret his tunes which were never mundane or hackneyed. But is there a better reed man than Alan Barnes anywhere on the planet? I'd never heard him play tenor before but he does so on Spike Heatley's "One for Clifford"(2004) & is absolutely astounding. Anne & I have worked with him on numerous occasions & find him to be the most accommodating of musicians who loves a challenge. He would play on Anne's arrangements with no rehearsal, note perfect, great solos on material he couldn't possibly have even heard before. A world class musician!!! That's not to take away anything away from my all time fave tenor Scott Hamilton, plus Harry Allen & the superb Ken Peplowski on clarinet all of whom were a delight to work with on many occasions.
I have fond memories of the mini tour I did with Ken & Mark Nightingale which was fabulous but boy did they keep you on your toes. Mark kept arriving at each gig with new arrangements & compositions that he had done over night & with no opportunity to rehearse you had to be on your mettle. Ken pulled out an Al Cohn original based on the changes of Limehouse Blues & gave a lead sheet to Mark & asked "will this be OK"? Mark gave it a quick glance & said "Yes it's fine". I glanced over Mark's shoulder at his chart & couldn't believe my eyes-- it wasn't a trombone part at all & had to be transposed on site-- but also the notation was incredibly difficult to read, particularly at the breakneck speed required. I was given a private recording of the gig & the two front line were in perfect unison. Mark never missed a note on a tune he had never seen or heard before & when I asked him how difficult it had been to play, he said, "well, it wasn't very  trombone friendly"--the biggest understatement I've ever heard in my life. Also Ken did a feature on All This & Heaven Too which was absolutely gorgeous !! It confirmed for me that his tone & technique were pure perfection!(end part 2)
Bill Harper.
(Photo shows Bill Harper accompanying Red Rodney.)

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Any info on Derek Dixon were was he from

Anne DeVere said...

Derek Dixon lived in South Shields - Westoe Road.

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