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Bebop Spoken There

Delfeayo Marsalis: "Slide Hampton once told me that it's not always the person that is playing the highest or playing the fastest that's making the greatest impact." - (DownBeat March 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

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 20: Central Bar Quintet plays Wes Montgomery @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm. Feat. Joe Steels.

Tue 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 21: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass guitar); Bailey Rudd (drums).

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 - this week only.
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.

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

The Virtuoso Jazz Trio @ The Lit and Phil

George MacDonald (clarinet); James Birkett (guitar); Tony Abell (bass); Bernice MacDonald (vocal).
(Review by Lance.)
The clarinet is the purest toned of all instruments and, arguably, the most difficult of the single reed instruments. No other wind instrument can be played with such clarity. Admittedly there have been many maverick clarinettists to whom clarity and purity of tone were low down in their priorities - Pee Wee Russell, Archie Semple, Jimmy Giuffre, local hero the late Stan Martin were some - and they all hold their own individual place in jazz history. However, and here I'm being subjective, the true masters of the instrument were, Buster Bailey, Barney Bigard, Artie Shaw, Buddy de Franco, Eddie Daniels and, of course, Benny Goodman.
George MacDonald, a former principal clarinettist of the Northern Sinfonia, has absorbed many of the above influences and I well remember the delight he showed when, some years ago, I broke the news to him that Buddy de Franco was to appear at Caedmon Hall, Gateshead.
George was there that night. 
Tonight, on the eve of the clarinettist's 81st birthday, celebrated vocally Canadian style, his fluency and the control of his instrument showed no sign of flagging and those of us who made our way to the Lit and Phil were treated to an evening of pure magic.
Listening to such standards as Ain't Misbehavin'; After you've Gone; In Mellow tone; Airmail Special; My Blue Heaven; Someone to Watch Over Me; Flying Home; One Note Samba; Margie; I Got Rhythm; Skylark; Sweet Georgia Brown and A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square - each one given an interesting and often humourous introduction by George made one understand why jazz had never been more popular with the general public than it was during the Swing Era - particularly when played by Benny Goodman or, as it was tonight, by George MacDonald.
Not that George was the only swinger on stage. James Birkett laid down markers for every guitarist to aspire to. Chordal à la Kress, single string à la Charlie Christian or just plain and, not so simple, Birkett.
Tony Abell is a relatively laid back bassist but every note counted whether in solo or support. He wears the mantle vacated by Pete Stuart well.
Oh yes, and then there was Bernice! I haven't come across many girls these days who can sing in front of a band, however small, unamplified and still be heard! In fact the acoustic sound probably worked to her advantage on Gilberto numbers such as Telephone Song and Ipanema creating that delicate Astrid G feel that may have been lost if she'd been miked up.
Who knows? The girl sounded great and so did the band.
She looked good too
Lance.

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