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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, October 07, 2013

Bill Harper Remembers Part 3.

Numerous trombone players spring to mind, Slide Hampton was terrific & after the gig he regaled us with wonderful stories about Dizzy, Monk, Bird etc.George Masso, Jiggs Whigham, Phil Wilson, all great players, were a pleasure to work with but who can compare with Mark Nightingale & my all time personal favourite Roy Williams who has to be the most musical trombonist & all-round good egg of my generation. His selection of material & finely crafted solo work make him revered throughout the world & I have good memories of the friendship we had.
Tal Farlow was a lovely man although Willie Payne gave him a run for his money that night!! But it was not all plain sailing. Joe Newman was a complete pain in the ass & almost came to blows with drummer Dennis Healey but other guys confirmed that his irrational behaviour was quite normal for him. I worked with him again some years later at Ulverston & he was a shadow of his former self. He didn't seem to have a clue where he was & his "chops" had gone. He opened with Bye Bye Blackbird which was barely recognisable & it all went downhill from there.
He couldn't think of anything to play & I had to call the shots-- he was virtually gaga. It must be the sea air at Ulverston because we had a similar problem with Alan Elsdon who was in the first stages of Alzheimer’s & kept asking "I haven't already played this tune', have I?”. Ted Curson was another whose chops had gone & if Sid had not joined him on stage to take some of the weight, he would never have got thro. the night. All very sad
But the daddy of them all was Kenny Davern who was trouble where ever he went. I first met him at Redcar with Roy Williams where I took my elec. piano -- there was no piano provided at the venue which was a big old dance hall. He objected to my piano, he didn't like electric instruments but he changed his opinion when I threatened to go home. Halfway thro . the set he fell out with the sound engineer & instructed him to turn all the mikes off which immediately upset the audience who were complaining that they couldn't hear. The gig ground to a very unsatisfactory conclusion.
The following year I was asked to support him at a pub in Marton which had no piano. I had just arrived at the venue but hadn't yet unloaded my keyboard when he appeared. "What kind of piano do we have tonight?" he asked in his usual sarcastic manner. I said that I would use the house keyb'd & pointed to the far wall to a huge column radiator covered in an elaborate wooden cover which ,from a distance, looked like an old bellows organ. I said that I was sorry that it wasn't electric but that once  I got the front off I should be able to pump it OK! A terrified look appeared on his face until he realised that I was kidding. "You bastard !!!", he said.  (part3)
Bill Harper.
(Photo Bill Harper and Roly Veitch)

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