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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

GIJF Day Three: The Waal; Hannabiell & Midnight Blue

The Waal: Ian Stephenson (guitar, melodeon); Andy May (keyboard, Uilean pipes); Sophie Ball (Fiddle); Kyran Matthews (saxes); Martin ? (drums).
(Review by Ann Alex).
The band member I spoke to wasn’t sure of the drummer’s surname, so I’ll excuse myself not knowing, such is the world of folkies, it’s the music that matters, as in jazz.  This was hugely enjoyed by the audience and myself, but I wouldn’t know whether it was jazz or folk, so it was an effective lesson in deciding whether labels mean anything. 
Some numbers came out (to me at least) as folk, such as the reels, composed by Stephenson, with Uilean (Irish) pipes, good drumming, complimented by soprano sax, which turned jazzy only at the end of the piece.  In others, the jazzy sax solos were well integrated into the piece, such as the opening number, with its folky riff overlaid by sax.  Most of the music was original, based on the idea of Hadrian’s Wall, the ‘Waal’ of the title;  the first item was called Knock It Down.
The band continued with such numbers as May’s London In July and The Road To Coburns. A Scandanavian based tune had the guitar leading, musical trembles from the rest of the band and a sensuous-sounding sax. May’s tune 541 included a haunting soprano sax, and the set was rounded off with a delightful French tune in 7/8 time.
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HannaBiell & Midnight Blue
Hannabiell Sanders (bass trombone, mbira, percussion, voice); Yilis Del Carmen Suriel (percussion, mbira); Katy Trigger (bass); Mark Barfoot (African percussion); Matthew Ross (drum, congas); Mick Wright (guitar); Paul Ruddick (sax, flute, voice)
The musicians enter one by one and play bits and pieces casually, which builds the tension. The odd drum beat here and there, a few shouts.  At the right moment the music breaks out, led by the extravert Hannabiell, and you just have to go with her flow, it’s irresistible.  The band’s music is described as Afro-Caribbean and Latin percussion, jazz, Afro-beat, funk and reggae, all blended together, and the mix of instruments listed above gives a big clue.  And more than all this is the forceful personality of Hannbiell with her ‘child’ Tyler the bass trombone, as she urges us to ‘Free yourself to my reason.’
 Much singing of insistent riffs and clapping, a few of the audience are dancing at the side, and it may have been a good idea for the front half of the hall to be cleared of chairs.  Out come the mbiras, which look like large round frying pans.  These are held on the knees and there are keys inside which produce a lovely round type of tone, very Caribbean.  The NRFH has now turned into a nightclub with light moving round the walls. 
Hannabiell sings a Caribbean song which is dedicated to community activism, sax and drums cut across the mbiras, the whole band plays, then Katy has a bass solo, followed by solos on flute, then guitar, fair shares demonstrates the community spirit.  Hannabiell actually dances with Tyler, then comes a chant and a train rhythm and a final song.
The audience naturally demand an encore, and Hannabiell comes off the stage to the front row, dances with one or two people (I was one), then the whole band comes off stage and leads us all out, downstairs, to play rhythms on the concourse.  A fitting end to the festival!
Ann Alex

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