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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Fishwick: “I can’t get behind the attitude that new is always somehow better than old” - Jazz Journal, April 15, 2019,

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

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

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.
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 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: 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: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
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.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Alter Ego @ The Globe - Dec. 19

Dave Hignett (tpt/flug); Keith Robinson (alt); Niall Armstrong (ten/fl); Andy Hawking (pno); Tony Abell (bs); David Francis (dms).
(Review by Peter Ninnim/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew).
What a night at the Globe!
Visiting the Globe is like struggling through the jungle of the Congo; you fight your way between creepers, avoid dangerous animals, duck low hanging branches and then finally arrive at a clearing in the forest to see sparkling in a shaft of sunlight a priceless jewel! OK, so that’s a bit over the top but the Globe is really a jewel in the Newcastle music field.
Last night the Globe featured a band providing a cornucopia of delights! It was like a beautiful Christmas present, wrapped in silver paper and tied with red ribbons! And when the box was opened out popped Alter Ego!
I count myself fortunate to have been there.
The first set kicked off with Roll Call a perfect up tempo opening closely followed by J. J. Johnson's In walked Horace. The New York Jazz Giants' Beatitudes was next; this is a driving Latin jazz tune and featured Dave Hignett playing his socks off on trumpet . The energetic first set included a fine swinging version of Benny Golson’s Blues March. This overrated number can be boring but certainly not in these hands. Solos from Keith Robinson on Alto and Niall Armstrong on tenor were beautifully crafted and the alternate march and swing sections were well handled by Dave Francis on drums. It’s not possible to mention the entire first set but it ended with Bobby Watson's Wheel Within a Wheel written for the Jazz Messengers.
After a short interval the band was even better; perhaps the fact that the club had filled up with an enthusiastic and vociferous audience had something to do with that. The set opened with an outstanding version of Hit and Run and I see that I have just written “wow!” next to it on the set list. Dave Hignett's trumpet playing was reaching for the stars and with great attack and Niall Armstrong’s tenor playing sparkled. In fact the whole band played like they had stuffed fire crackers down their trousers in the whole of the second set. Andy Hawking on piano featured in a lovely version of Monk’s Budini. I thought that he really did the tune justice. Two of Niall Armstrong’s compositions followed, Undertone featuring Niall himself and Dave Hignett on Flugel , and Mustard Marsh which included fine Bass playing by Tony Abell. Nice to hear an electric bass played with great taste; not always the case. The set concluded with a tune in 3/4 Coastal Breeze. Nice drumming throughout and Niall on Flute and the outstanding alto playing of Keith Robinson. Keith was all over the instrument and at times seemed to have an extra hand there was so much great jazz going on. The encore was another great Bobby Watson piece A Bittadose featuring the whole band in great ensemble playing with this shuffle style hit.
This was a great gig, substantially better than the Clark Tracey performance earlier this year. Compared with that it was a tonic. Best gig I’ve been to since Jazz Machine’s gig at Number 28 in August; and I was playing in that!
One last word. The sound throughout was really well balanced and this makes such a difference. Thank you to the Globe and the Band.
Peter N.

4 comments :

Roly said...

This excellent band played a great gig at Blaydon in April.

Lance said...

Must have been quite a gig as I thought the Clark Tracey band were plenty good!

Ken Drew (on f/b) said...

What a great review !! although I wouldn't go so far to say it was 'substantially better than the Clark Tracey performance earlier this year' - maybe they equalled them in many respects - fine musicians playing tremendously well as One, the overall energy and the impact they had on the audience (and vice-versa). But what a great Gig !!!

Ashington Jazz Club said...

Next gig for Alter Ego

8pm Wednesday 7th January @ Ashington Jazz Club

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