Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Friday, September 19, 2014

Alan Barnes & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. September 19

Alan Barnes (alto & baritone saxophones, clarinet) & Paul Edis (piano)
(Review by Russell/Photo by Ken Drew from the evening gig at Jazz Café).
Another full house. You Stepped Out of a Dream, I’m Old Fashioned, One Note Samba. Pianist Paul Edis invited reeds maestro Alan Barnes to travel ‘up north’ to play a couple of gigs. The first of them in the studio theatre at the Gala, Durham attracted yet another capacity audience…’What’s New?’ you might say.
The presence of Alan Barnes signalled a step change in the profile of musicians invited to perform at the monthly lunchtime session. The region’s finest have played fine sets at the venue, but a musician as well known as Alan Barnes indicates how successful the venture has become. 
From the start this was a swinging session. Edis at the Roland RD-300 and a wise-cracking Barnes alternating between alto, baritone and clarinet, strolled through the hour-long performance delighting the crowd with superb improvisations on standards and a couple of Edis’ compositions. Barnes introduced Edis’ For Bill telling the audience Bill Haley was the inspiration. The reedsman reached for his spectacles saying he would take the opportunity to plug his spectacles sponsor…the 99p shop! The one-liners never fail to make people laugh. Is there anything better than Barnes’ often self-deprecating jokes and the wonderful music produced by the musicians on the stand? The room afforded Barnes the opportunity to play acoustically – clarinet in homage to Bill Evans and again on Have You Met Miss Jones? Earlier AB opened on alto on Brown and Khan’s You Stepped Out of a Dream then switched to baritone on I’m Old Fashioned (Kern and Mercer). Barnes told a tale of confusion between a baritone and bass saxophone, adding that Bruce Adams once suggested it was: The same old crap, just an octave lower.
Edis suggested they play Moonglow. Barnes suggested Edis play the first chorus. What a treat! The melody, stride piano, fabulous interplay. Another Edis composition – Lines – found Barnes reaching once again for his specs. This one’s difficult he said, showing the sheet music to the audience. It did look a little complicated. AB said it looked like ripped out knitting or a cross section of black pudding! Needless to say he (and Edis) played it superbly. Highlights were many, not least Wes Montgomery’s West Coast Blues (Barnes on alto) and, of course, the one-liners.
You can hear Edis and Barnes again tonight at the Jazz Café on Pink Lane in Newcastle. They will be working with the excellent bass and drums pairing of Paul Susans and Rob Walker. Eight o’clock start in the upstairs room, admission on the door £10.00.         
Russell.

1 comment :

Hugh said...

Two fantastic sets at the evening gig too - same jokes though!

Blog Archive