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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Revolutionaires @ The Water House, North Road, Durham. 4:00pm. Rock 'n' roll excellence! Line-up inc. Pete Tanton.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Alex Baker Quartet @ The Forum, Darlington. March 30

Alex Baker (tenor saxophone), Dean Stockdale (piano), Amy Baker (electric bass) & Stephen Fletcher (drums)
(Review by Russell).
The Forum on Borough Road, tucked away behind Darlington Civic Theatre, presents a range of arts activities across the week including music, cinema and workshop sessions. Early Sunday evening Darlington Jazz Club opens for business. Jazz musicians from the north east and occasionally further afield play two sets to an attentive audience in the bar. This week’s guest Alex Baker (tenor saxophone) was on home ground. A local lad now living in Sheffield, Baker met up with bass playing sister Amy and the ‘award winning’ drummer Stephen Fletcher (Baker was to gently tease Fletcher about his recent success) One hour before the gig Baker made the acquaintance of pianist Dean Stockdale. 
The jazz world is perhaps unique in matching musicians at a moment’s notice and making it work. The club organisers, well aware of Stockdale’s abilities, knew they had nothing to worry about, it would be good, the one question being: how good? A pint of Yard Dog (Ferryhill’s Yard of Ale Brewery) at hand and a chat with one or two regulars as the quartet ran through a couple of charts and before we knew it the first set started bang on time. Bessie’s Blues, This was going to be good! Solar. Two tunes in, it couldn’t get any better, could it? Mature, full toned tenor playing, it is worth travelling a distance to hear Alex Baker. 
A tenor and drums intro to the next number made for one regret – the whole of the north east’s jazz community should have been at the Forum to hear it. Fletcher (the award winning drummer!) and Baker taking Giant Steps. Stockdale and Amy Baker got on board Baker’s Trane and positively kicked ass (as the Americans might say). Superb bass playing (if Amy isn’t you’re favourite bass player it is simply because you are yet to hear her), chords and more from Dean ‘McCoy’ Stockdale, Three numbers into the set and the gig had leapt to the top of the Gig of the Year list! In a Sentimental Mood took it down, the musicianship up there. The interval. The consensus – fantastic!
Second set, more great piano from Stockdale on  Afro Blue and again on Moment’s Notice. A ballad was called for. Naima showcased Baker (Alex). Majestic tenor playing, rhythm section right there. A gig celebrating the music of John Coltrane, certainly. A gig celebrating the great tenor playing of Alex Baker. More Trane – Impressions. A gig of exceptional quality, the quartet should do it again, soon. The next Darlington Jazz Club date is Sunday April 13 with guests the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band. The third Darlington Jazz Festival runs from April 24-27. Tickets will sell out. Visit the Forum’s website www.theforumonline.co.uk Check Bebop Spoken Here nearer the time for a full festival preview.          
Russell.           

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