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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

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: 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 Zoe Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
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.

Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Improvisers’ Workshop @ The Jazz Café. July 8

Andy Champion (electric bass & electronics) & Wes Stephenson (drums) + Paul Edis (piano), Harley Johnson (piano), Dougie Fielder (tenor saxophone), Zoe Gilby (voice), Julie Allan (voice), ? (mandolin & cello), Penny (cello), ? (flute), Nialls ? (mandolin & shakers), ? (bodhran)
(Review by Russell).
The first in a new monthly workshop session at the Jazz Café curated by (in old money ‘led by’) bassist Andy Champion with sparring partner for the evening Wes Stephenson (drums), the question uppermost in the mind: would anyone turn up? They did, faces old and new. The jazz faces were there, so too some non-jazz faces.
Champion and Stephenson started proceedings with our seated curator looking down at an array of flashing lights on a pedal board and a half. Pianist Paul Edis was the first to throw his hat in the ring, seating himself at the upright looking, listening for an opening.
Seizing his opportunity, Edis made this opening piece a three way conversation. A good beginning to a new venture. Edis departed, leaving the floor open to all comers.
Dougie Fielder, having travelled from Cumbria, got up and gave it a go. In no time a mandolin joined the orchestra, then a cello, then, all the way from Stanley, County Durham, Harley Johnson. HJ is a pianist, a good pianist. HJ decided to dismantle the piano, front top panel then, sitting on the floor, the bottom panel. The piano lid was down. HJ didn’t seem to notice. Much banging (HJ remained seated on the floor), plucking and strumming ensued. Our pianist stood up and much banging, plucking and strumming of strings on the upper half of the upright ensued. In an aside the Jazz Café’s proprietor said: I’ll have to get the thing tuned. There was the temptation to tell HJ that the piano lid wasn’t locked.
Our mandolin player suggested HJ play the keyboard. Zoe Gilby and Julie Allan decided to add voice to the collective. Numbers grew, at one point perhaps ten musicians played together. Some knew when to drop out, at times the larger ensemble lost focus, refocused and finally resolved the improvisation. At Champion’s suggestion the final piece of the evening would begin with all ten participants starting simultaneously. And they did, with gusto (who needs Ornette?). Mid-point, mandolin attempted to subvert matters with a clearly delineated Autumn Leaves. Blink and it was gone. Next month’s workshop begins at eight o’clock, second Tuesday (August 12). Participants (all instruments) and listeners welcome.          
Russell.       

1 comment :

Lance said...

Crombie must be turning in his grave...

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