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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.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Jason Isaacs Big Band "Swing Sensations" - City Hall, Newcastle, May 10.

Jason Isaacs (vocal/tenor) + Steve Norman (tenor/vocal); the Fenner Sisters (backing vocals); Dorothy Ellis (vocal); The Ambassadors of Swing.
Darren Irwin (trumpet/MD); Dave Hignett, Mark Webb (trumpets); Don Failey, Dave Brock, Alan Brady (trombones); Sue Ferris, Lewis Watson, Steve Blythe (reeds); Stuart Collingwood (piano); Neil Harland (bass); Rod Sinclair (guitar); Simon Ferry (drums).
(Review by Lance).
The Ambassadors of Swing put us In The Mood for the world's most athletic, on stage, performer - Jason Isaacs. The ten foot tall (or thereabouts) singer bounded on to the stage well inside the Olympic record for bounding on stages and he did it Side Ways!
The Lady is a Tramp was almost choreographed as some latecomers arrived, as if on cue, during the line She loves the theatre but never comes late. And who would come late for a show like this? The Best is Yet to Come and a chorus of Come Fly With me in Geordie (...And if ye cud use sum exotic booze then we'll gan doon to Whitley Bay) followed. Why Don't You Do Right? had our boy blowing tenor as well as singing. Let there be Love, I've Got You Under my Skin ( Nelson Riddle arrangement with the legendary trombone break) and a  belting Cheek to Cheek.
The band were superb, led by by trumpeter Darren Irwin, depping for Mick Donnelly who was on the road with Lisa Stansfield, they filled the, not always acoustically perfect, City Hall with the great big band sound that was once the norm in this much loved building.
Mr Bojangles, the B side of his new single, quite a poignant song put over well. The Fenner Sisters provided the Hi-de-His and Ho-de-Hos (along with the audience) on Minnie the Moocher.
Elvis' American Trilogy, always an emotive piece, preceded Me and my Shadow - a duet with Dorothy Ellis - before Mack the Knife and Bad Bad Leroy Brown brought the set to a close.
This show was just something else! Forget Bublé and the current crop of Rat Packers - Isaacs is the real deal.
Despite being annoyed that the bar staff had disposed of the BSH cards which I'd scattered around the tables and ledges, fortified by a (plastic) glass of Chardonnay, I returned to Row P ready for more goodies.
And goodies they were indeed!
It Don't Mean a Thing - the Fenners looked lovely doing the Do Wah Do Wahs but would have benefited from a tad more volume - Beyond the Sea, For Once in my Life and the A side of the single, Too Marvellous For Words, - you can download it for £1.29!
The band were let loose on Sweet Georgia Brown with Lewis Watson having a good blast, Jason and the Fens returned for That's Life. Jason blew on Jump Jive and then sang Hit The Road Jack. We certainly didn't!
Next guest was Spandau Ballet's saxman Steve Norman - You're Indestructible from the Spandau Ballet Songbook and a stirring sax duel between the two singers - honours even.
Invariably we had My Way and, of course, New York New York.
Start spreading the news the single's out today and it's just Too Marvellous for Words!...
Lance.

4 comments :

Jason Isaacs said...

Thanks for that lance . Very kind words . I know it's not a jazz gig so it's all the kinder of you. Thanks for coming. I love bebop spoken here! Keep up the great work .

Parsons Marketing said...

Echo all you've said here Lance and eloquently pu., Love the Saxman line too, will pass that on to Steve if you'd let me!

Mrs Isaacs said...

Couldn't have put it better myself - and lovely to meet you in person after all these years! You're on the guest list any time! X

Lance said...

By all means pass it on Mr Marketing...

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