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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

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

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. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club: Just Friends @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guest band night w. Richie Emmerson, Ian Bosworth, Dave Archbold, Ron Smith, Mark Hawkins. 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: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
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: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
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.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Mike Walker & Stuart McCallum // Paul Taylor @ The Jazz Café. June 24

(Review by Russell).
The latest in Jazz North East’s series of  Schmazz gigs at the Jazz Café featured British guitarists Mike Walker and Stuart McCallum. All seats in the upstairs room were taken (two of the north east’s finest six-stringers bagged prime seats) and the stage resembled the guitar section of your local musical instrument store. The Greater Manchester-based duo settled down to play the first of two mainly acoustic sets in a setting Walker later described as having ‘a good vibe’.
The material consisted of original compositions (a Schmazz prerequisite) and one or two standards. The opening number had an Americana feel to it, so it came as no surprise to learn it was Bill Frisell’s Where Do We Go? Walker, a man with an impressive cv – the big bands of Mike Gibbs and Kenny Wheeler, stints with Julian Arguelles and Nikki Iles, to his latest Anglo American project, the Impossible Gentlemen – shuffled a set list at will, suggesting to McCallum they do ‘Orpheus’. A change of guitar, some retuning, a bit of banter and into Luiz Bonfá’s Black Orpheus. This and the following number – All the Things You Are – exemplified Stuart McCallum’s penchant for reharmonizing tunes. Dark tones, dense improvisations, Walker picking up on McCallum’s initial foray, further solo invention, the seamless dovetailing of ideas.
A Walker composition – Wallenda’s Last Stand – inspired by the life story of a high wire walker’s final, fatal, do or die journey and McCallum’s The French Song illustrated their talents as tunesmiths. The second set heard McCallum’s Beholden and Walker’s Clock Maker. Walker introduced the latter number with a hilarious, true tale of his friend saxophonist Iain Dixon’s father’s clock making obsession. Imagine a house full of clocks – He made one every four minutes, said Walker – all primed to chime on the hour. It was Walker’s mission in life when visiting Dixon Snr to leave before the cacophonous clock chorus struck up! A distinct folk strand ran through the second set, notably McCallum’s tune inspired by a visit to the Shetlands and his authentic folk ballad Seasons. The one time student of Walker has gone on to work in a variety of contexts including a plum job with John Surman, tenure with the hip Cinematic Orchestra and work with Tim Garland’s Northern Underground Orchestra (including an appearance at the Durham Miners’ Gala a few years ago). This Schmazz gig was one for students of the guitar rather than one for the jazz guitar purist.
Earlier, pianist Paul Taylor played a solo set in the downstairs bar. The Tyneside-based Taylor developed ideas from an impressionist palette, quietly applying complementary hues to an uncluttered canvas. The audience listened intently, some seemingly holding a breath, such was the silence during a half hour improvisation.
Next month’s Schmazz concert at the Jazz Café departs from the usual last Tuesday in the month date. The double bill of Troyka and Pulcinella can be heard on Tuesday 15 July.
      
Russell.

3 comments :

Bradley Johnston (on F/b) said...

Great gig, very inspiring gig Mike!

stevebfc said...

Thoroughly enjoyable gig left the jazz cafe buzzing. Great tunes, great repartee, great music, great night.

Zoe Gilby (On Twitter). said...

An amazing night.

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