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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Harlem Hot Stompers @ Boston Spa - Dec. 20

John Ronan (tmb), Bill Smith (cornet), John Reade (pno), Ian McCann (bjo/gtr), Grant Taylor (dms), Dave Parr (bs/tuba), Dave Thomas (cl)
(Review by Ray)
Time again to listen out for Santa's sleigh bringing goodies ......remember ...if you believe ...you can hear the bells on his sleigh ....no bells tonight, but a festive treat nevertheless as the boys from Manchester crossed the Pennines to provide a packed house at Boston Spa with jazz of a festive nature at the annual party bash.
Suitably attired in Santa hats the guys kicked off with Closer Walk with Thee then That's a Plenty taking us back to the spiritually uplifting Won't be Here Too Long. Back to trad ....a couple of features ....Dave Thomas on vocals with Button up Your Overcoat and John Reade a piano solo on Wildcat Blues. Jelly Roll Morton's FroggimoreRag took us up-tempo and into You're Nobody's Sweetheart Now, then Down by the Riverside saw the first audience participation of the evening & took us to the break.
As befits a Christmas party at the Spa, the food just kept coming ....a visual cornucopia fit for the occasion ....though after over indulging we were not fit for much ...but ...that's what Christmas is all about !
Anyone who knows the Stompers would recall that they sadly lost leader Tony Foulkes 18 months earlier ....since then, Banjo man Ian has led them forward. On returning for the second set, resident archivist John Ronan gave us the good tidings that it was 45 years to the day that the original Stompers played their first gig ...not a bad record at all ....you can see how they survive in today's scene ....Bill Smith led the line in the style of an old fashioned centre-forward .....with wingers John & Dave excelling in providing support to him ....and the half back rhythm line keeping it all tight at the back.
Kicking off the second set in fine style, we moved through Acker's Goodnight Sweet Prince to Buddy Bolden's Buddy's Habits then a beautiful Dave Thomas solo, Burgundy Street. A rousing Black and Blue saw us safely to the Raffle. No prizes for us, but the musical gems kept coming .... Jelly Roll’s Doctor Jazz then it was our turn ....the hall echoing to Carols as John on piano led us through the old standards ....Rudolph ...Silent Night ...Winter Wonderland ....White Christmas ...and finally Jingle Bells. Going Home was a non too subtle hint that the end was nigh and sadly we bade farewell to our friends at the Spa and braved the cold of the night.
Traditionally, at the close of the year, we make resolutions ....if you have not yet visited the Jazz at the Spa, then you really need to put it high on your 2015 wish-list - the jazz there is of the highest class, it’s every Saturday, and it's pay on the door - so it's a few miles down the road? ....the simple fact is that nowadays we in, the Newcastle area, no longer have a venue which regularly attracts the bands that the Spa does ....we are starved of regular good jazz of this type ...the first three months alone see Savannah Jazz; Alan Barnes and John Hallam; Mart Rodgers Manchester Jazz; Frank Brookers Happy Chappies; T J Johnson Band and Amy Roberts ......fabulous Jazz !   
Take a look at the website ..www.jazzinthespa.co.uk 
Happy Christmas everyone ....keep jazz alive ....
Ray R.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Thanks for that excellent review Ray really created the atmosphere of Boston Spa.
However, I think you are doing Newcastle and the north-east down. The Vieux Carré Jazzmen, The Maine Street Jazzmen, The Tees Valley Stompers keep the trad flag flying with weekly gigs. The Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party brings in bands from all over the world. Alan Barnes was recently at the Jazz Café, John Hallam is not unknown at Blaydon and Blaydon supremo Roly Veitch is not unknown at Boston Spa either. Currently, I would suggest that the north-east has never been better catered for by bands of all styles.

Ray R said...

My point is Lance that we have no local venues now attracting quality bands regularly from outside the region. People vote with their feet ...we support the local clubs (Fell, Ashington etc) but like many others whilst we appreciate the quality of the local bands, we simply don't wish to watch them every week ....we crave choice. Audience stats say it all ....Spa 80 to 120 weekly, Darlington 60, Trinity was 80+, Saville 70 ....watching such as French bands Hot Antics, Red Hot Reedwarmers, Paris Washboard, mixed with local talent like Swing City Trio & Hot Club Trio. Contrast that to local clubs ...Blaydon was 25 probably 40 now, Ashington 35, Springwell 30, Fell was 25. The only high audience locally is NCRO's annual Caedman Hall gig ...that can get 200 I think, so there is a bigger audience out there, they need the attraction of a mix of local & national names to get them through the door

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