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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.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Darlington Jazz Festival. Sunday Evening Part Two April 27

(Review by Russell (AKA Tolstoy).
The weekend’s finale featured the Al Wood Nine. Multi instrumentalist Al Wood (trumpet, flugelhorn, alto & soprano saxophones) always puts on a good show. Bebop Spoken Here last heard him at the Cluny in Newcastle, for this Darlington engagement the veteran Yorkshireman brought his A-team with him.
 The band: Al Wood, Jim Corry (alto & soprano saxophones), James Russell (alto & baritone saxophones), Stuart MacDonald (tenor and bass saxophones), Sam Thornton (baritone saxophone & vocals), Graham Hearn (piano), Gary Jackson (double bass) & Bob Howard (drums) + Ernie Jackson (percussion)
Benny Carter’s Come On Over opened the first set with Simon Kaylor soloing on tenor and Jim Corry on alto. Corry’s altoist band mate James Russell took a phenomenal solo on Bernie’s Tune. This was going to be some night! Pianist Graham Hearn, heard recently up the road at the Lit and Phil in Newcastle, played beautifully on Rodgers and Hart’s Spring Is Here (Not in Darlington quipped Wood). The multi instrumental talents of the frontline were first demonstrated when Corry switched to soprano on I’m Always Chasing Rainbows. Flight of the Foo Birds featured Wood on alto with sensitive support from pianist Hearn. The set’s closing number will live long in the memory. A big band aficionado had earlier commented that he was pleased to see drummer Bob Howard in the band. Dizzy’s The Champ featured a drum solo to end all drum solos. The frontline cleared the stage as Howard gave an outstanding display. It was the closing number but it was only the end of the first set! 
During the interval one aspiring young drummer was introduced to Mr Howard…they talked drums. Aim for the stars, Howard did and he is up there with the best of them! Nat Adderley’s Work Song opened the second set. Double bassist Gary Jackson - great sound, great technique - grabbed a solo before the altoists (Corry and Russell) traded fours, fast and furious, then faster and ever more furious! Wow! Simon Kaylor featured once more on Stella By Starlight, initially at a slow tempo then up to race speed. It worked. Tenor man Stuart MacDonald (he made Johnny Griffin sound pedestrian) picked up his ton weight bass saxophone - great sound, great technique - to lead the parade on Struttin’ With Some Barbecue (arr. Hearn), Sam Thornton (baritone) followed with his own cast iron sound. A number from Phil Wood’s A Btrazilian Affair concluded matters with solo after solo drawing huge applause. Veteran drummer Ernie Jackson joined the party as guest percussionist. Quite a finale!
The 2014 edition off the Darlington Jazz Festival could only be described as a resounding success. The event is a considerable undertaking and it couldn’t work without the support of many individuals and organisations. Some of those - apologies for those omitted, it is a long list! - include Creative Darlington, Darlington Borough Council, Darlington For Culture, Darlington Jazz Club and the Musicians’ Union. The festival directors - Kirsty Dunn and Shaune Eland - the festival fundraiser (essential!) Kathryn Shaw, Head of Steam staff, staff at the Forum and last but by no means least, the innumerable band of volunteer workers. These are the unsung stars of the event. Many of them are young musicians giving freely of their time. They staff the door, sell raffle tickets, act as stage crew and do the behind the scenes donkey work. See you at the 2015 Darlington Jazz Festival, the Friendly Jazz Festival.          
Russell.

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