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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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - CANCELLED CEILING COLLAPSED!
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

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.
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).

Monday, March 24, 2014

A Strictly Combustible Evening. March 23

(Review by Russell)
Big bands are dead, long gone. Oh, yeah? The recent Great North Big Band Jazz Festival in Sunderland would suggest otherwise and behind the scenes here in the north east of England (in clubs, pubs, community halls) year-round rehearsals and workshops go largely unnoticed. A Sunday afternoon at Hoochie Coochie couldn’t possibly attract a large crowd keen to experience the thrill of a big band up close. Oh, yeah? The Pilgrim Street venue in Newcastle was busy. Bottles of Fuller’s London Pride, a cocktail if you prefer, being supped or sipped, ahead of an appearance by the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band. For a review of the gig read LL’s piece. Suffice to say it was every bit as good as he said it was.
Less than one hour later, Splinter’s monthly jam session at the Bridge Hotel would attract a contingent of the SSBB. One hour. Time to kill, Time to dash home and still get to the Bridge on time. Turning into the street – Chez Moi –  the powerful effects of London Pride had kicked in. A car, unattended, ablaze.  Surreal or what? Alert the neighbours, call 999! Several buckets of water contained the blaze until the fire fighters arrived. Sorry chaps, must go, much more important business to attend to, there’s a jam session at the Bridge! A pint of Billy Mill or a pint of Amnesia? Opted for one or the other, can’t remember which, a glance at the tv, El Clasico nicely poised: Real 1 Barca 1.
Ascending the stairs to the unmistakable sound of the Findens on Secret Love (Fiona, vocals, Stuart, tenor), musicians sat around the room, thumbing through the pad, looking for the right chart – it could be their turn next. The Findens were working with familiar faces – Alan Law (piano), John Pope (bass) and drummer Eric Stutt. Note pad and pen forgotten in the earlier emergency determined it would be mental notes (Amnesia permitting), a mere sketch. Make that a list.
Pick your favourites from the following...Peter Gilligan (piano), drummers Jeff Armstrong and Jonathan Marriott, Paul Gowland (tenor), Sarah Travena (soprano), Mark Williams (guitar), vocalists Julie Allan, Debra Milne, Kath Jobes. KJ sang Autumn Leaves a day or so after the first day of spring.
Somewhat befuddling to a London Pride amnesiac! Down in the bar, El Clasico update: Real 3 Barca 2. A pint of something or other, a swift ascent of the stairs so as not to miss a second of what was to come and as occasionally happens one of those  ‘I was there’ moments. SSBB vocalist Lindsay Hannon put on her coat, about to go off into the night, when, glass in hand, she was called to the stage. Hannon encouraged SSBB tenor player Jamie Toms to join her. Our vocalist sang as never before; saloon bar ease, from major to minor, from the heart, heartbreak, joy. Magnificent! Perhaps not gig of the year but without doubt, three months into the year, a highlight of 2014. Apologies to any performer not mentioned – the absence of a note pad and the amnesiac effects of a couple of halves were entirely responsible for, for…something or other. Footnote: Messi did it again (a hat trick) – FT Real 3 Barca 4.             
Russell.                          

1 comment :

JC said...

Russell, I knew you could multiple-task but you have become the Roland Kirk of reviewers. Two jazz gigs back to back involving cast of thousands, live tasting of ales (both real and imaginary), running commentary on El Classico and a little voluntary fire fighting on the
side -amazing! I must remember to try a pint of Amnesia.
JC

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