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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Gypsies of Bohemia @ Jazz Café - October 11

Matthew Whitaker (vcl/rhythm gtr.); Jim Wallace (ld gtr/vcl); Frank Grime (bs/vcl); Sam Draper (dms/vcl); Andy Stamatakis-Brown (keys/melodica/vcl).
(Review by Lance/photo by Mike Tilley.)
The gig was sold out. If the scalpers had known they'd have made a killing! As it was the 60 or so aficionados with the savvy to buy in advance were privileged to witness a truly stunning performance.
In many ways, Hot Club has become today's Trad - recreating the sounds of Paris and Old Orleans with the verve and enthusiasm the original revivalists gave to the jazz of New Orleans.
Nowadays, there are so many bands across the world building upon the format set down by Django et Stephane. Remember WASO? they were something and of course our own north east based Djangologie est aussi un trés formidable ensemble. However, the Gypsies of Bohemia have added another dimension to the genre.  The use of keyboards and drums and a repertoire of contemporary pop songs takes it away from the chugology of typical Hot Club fare to a swingier sound.
Earlier this year the hirsute quintet from Manchester  played a sell-out gig at The Caff and that, along with an academic pedigree at Newcastle College, ensured they had a large and, it has to be said, a boisterous following!
This was both a good and a bad thing. The ambience created by the noise was akin to the bonhomie emulating from a café in Monmartré on New Year's Eve.
The downside was that Whitaker's vocals and Wallace's announcements weren't always as audible as I'd have liked.
That aside, it was a cracking night full of excitement and virtuosity. The material ranged from standards such as Tea For Two to a version of Wuthering Heights that even Kate Bush never contemplated let alone Emily Bronté or Heathcliff!
Tainted Love was another contemporary classic that had the room upstanding and Americano complete with vocal had us totally transported as did Hot in Herre - it certainly was!
When I left for zee Metro they were still stomping away!
CD review to follow...
Lance.

2 comments :

Life in Geordieland said...

Glad the gypos had a good gig, I was gutted to discover it was sold out but I had the pleasure of attending their last gig at the Jazz Cafe and catching both their sets at Kendal Calling! Hope they return to Newcastle again soon!!
Rachel
www.lifeingeordieland.com

Patti D. said...

It was a smoking hot gig - the crowd was all but hanging from the ceiling ..... reworked jazz classics, ace solos and wonderful playing - but brilliant contemporary hits like Tainted Love, Ain't Nobody and Seven Nation Armies - these guys know how to get that groove going.

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