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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

The Road to Hong Kong with Colin Aitchison - Part Four.

Q: Ned Kelly’s, it sounds a fun place. Is it purely jazz or do you have to do a bit of everything?
A: Ned Kelly’s is 80%  Dixieland, the rest, 10% Swing & Latin Jazz with a little Be-Bop and  the other 10% are my cabaret spots, or as I call it, a little audience participation. There are times when we add a touch of Spike Jones.
Now when I say 80% Dixieland, I would not say it is "pure Dixieland". To give an example we play everything from Jelly Roll Morton’s “Black Bottom Stomp"  to  a little Latin jazz "Triste" to "Take Five". The  cabaret stuff -  well, that is me fooling around playing "Amazing Grace" on the tea-pot in 2 octaves, to doing a Louis taake on “What A Wonderful World"  with the Neds Glee Club (audience). "New York, New York" has been renamed "Mong Kok, Mong Kok" which is a notorious area here in Hong Kong. Some other fun routines are the rubber chicken on  12th Street Rag! The audience love it!
Post 1997 saw a dramatic change in the audience mix. Gone are the forces expats - we have a wonderful young Chinese following, who come to enjoy the fun and entertainment. It is a great and fun venue for office and birthday parties and celebrations of all sorts. We still host regulars from the numerous trade shows held here and of course, over the years we have had  visiting musicians and passengers from cruise ships,  US fleet personnel and US 7th fleet band
I would say our audience is a mix of locals, expats and  business people, with an age group from 18 year olds to 70+ year olds.  Neds has hosted some greats like Charlie Barnet, Rosemary Clooney, Matt Monroe, Sergio Mendes, Kenny Ball, Bob Wilber (pictured with Colin), Fred Wesley and in March this year we will have US trombonist Dan Barrett.
Q: You return to the UK on a yearly basis doing a few gigs with the local guys. Do you think you’ll ever return to stay?
A: As time goes by – cue for a song.  Every year on a return I do feel more at home.  They always say that you eventually come back to your roots, and if I was to return it would be to Tyneside. I would of course not be back to play full time. It would be just nice to play and enjoy playing when I want to. I am always deeply touched by the warm welcome that both Jeannie and I receive when we meet up with friends and musicians who have known me since I was a little boy and dad was around.
I have a couple of years to fulfil contracts in Hong Kong,  To think  that when I turned professional in 1976, and in all that time I’ve only been out of work for around one month,. I had to travel and I had to take chances and the gamble has paid off.   It will be a difficult decision to leave Asia. but yes... UK is still on the cards and if I did return, it would be to Geordie Land
Q: Unlike some musicians, you have a deep interest in the history of the music typified by your vast collection of vintage Melody Makers ?
A: What a great music paper that was, and one of my first jobs came from it. So definitely  a strong attachment.  Their reports and coverage of jazz and big bands from the 20's to the 70's  it's all there. I'm at present in the process of posting my collection on line on Flickr.  It's a time consuming task and I often find myself side tracked by wanting to read the many interesting articles that I come across. 
Colin.
(To be continued)

2 comments :

carstairs said...

When you come back you can make a start with scanning my collection of M . M and RHYTHM !
Meanwhile we look forward to July

CCJAZZMEN said...

John, would love to do that, but it is a big job, and you get so side tracked, but what great musical magazines and papers they were, and most of my jobs as a professional musician came from the MM in those days, yes looking forward to July, and some relaxed blows here and there.

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