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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

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 + Abbie Finn @ 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: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
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: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
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: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Sunday, February 09, 2014

Elkie Brooks @ Sage Gateshead February 9

Elkie Brooks (vcl); Stevie Jones (ten); Andrew Murray (keys); Brian Badham (bs gtr); Rufus Ruffell (gtr); Michael Richardson (dms); Lee Noble (various).
(Review by Lance).
After Natalie Williams had sent us on our way rejoicing from Hoochie on Friday night, the feeling was that it would be many a moon before a star shone so brightly again. Then, lo and behold, less than 24 hours later we were once again bedazzled, this time at Sage Gateshead and by a woman almost twice Natalie's age!
Elkie Brooks.
Elkie, by her own admission, is pushing 69 but, unless you were sitting in Row A and with 20-20 vision, you'd swear she was still the young jazz chick that used to appear with Humph from time to time.
Hall One, two levels full, erupted as the band played the intro to He Could Have Been an Army, vamping till ready as Elkie strutted her stuff welcoming the welcoming fans before taking up the song. Has she still got it?
Elkie's still got it!
All the old faves were given a fresh airing. Gasoline Alley, Fool if You Think it's Over, Nights in White Satin, and of course Pearl's a Singer, Sunshine After the Rain, Why?, Don't Cry Out Loud and Lilac Wine - just some of the tried and tested numbers we've never forgotten. There were also songs from her more recent album Powerless (2009). Purple Rain the one that sticks in my mind.
Some voices deteriorate with the passage of time.
Some don't.
Elkie's voice, despite her at times raucous delivery, hasn't! In fact I'd swear she's sounding better than ever (if that is possible!) Only minor criticism is that she does tend to overdo the repeat/delay effect at the end of a chorus. Stunning in small doses but not in overkill. However, this is a small price to pay for the magical moments that held us spellbound Till the End of Time to quote the Perry Como number that was a hit the year she was born (1945). The Chopin based piece is still a hit when Elkie sings it.
Once again Stevie Jones on tenor gave a man of the match performance which is praise indeed given the quality of musicianship on stage. Stevie ranks with the best - look out for a review of his own album Brother Strut soon.
Yes this was quite a night - not in white satin, but in a slinky black gown for the first set and a black and white outfit for the second.
Lance.

6 comments :

Unknown said...

Elkie is an amazing singer , her concerts a great.

Derek Richardson said...

I was there!
Elkie gets better and better, fabulous voice and still going strong after all the years she has had as a singer.
Looking forward to the next time.

Anonymous said...

I was there in Row A and she looked and sounded fab!

Anonymous said...

Am waiting for her to get a Brit Award for lifetime achievement (probably never happed though as she's not 'popular')

Unknown said...

We were there, we have seen her every time she has been in the North East. She never fails to deliver.

Anonymous said...

Agree 100% with you here! Pure enduring British talent!

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