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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17372 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 656 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (Sept. 17).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 1:00-2:45pm. Free.
Sat 21: Vieux Carré Hot Four @ The Beehive, Hartley Lane, Earsdon Whitley Bay NE25 0SZ. 4:30pm-6:30pm.
Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sun 22: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Richard Herdman @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 22: Remy CB Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:30pm. Free. Remi, 2024 Newcastle Uni graduate, superb soul/blues voice!

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Paul Booth with the Paul Edis Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert! SOLD OUT!

Tue 24: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv. from Tully’s of Rothbury). Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 24: Sarah Gillespie @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £16.50. Duo performance with Chris Montague.

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra UK: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Middlesbrough Theatre. 7:30pm.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. March 15

(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Roly Veitch & Deirdre Grant).
Blaydon Jazz Club at the Black Bull. The Strictly Smokin’ Big Band strolled into town, suited and booted. Small room, big band. The saxophone section assembled on the floor in front of the small stage. Blaydon regulars filed in looking to claim their usual perch. Instrument cases littered the floor and covered table tops as a sound check took place. One sensed this was going to be something special.
Bandleader Michael Lamb led the way with the first solo of the night on Ol’ Man River. The band’s power almost took the breath away, some were stunned. A sensational start. Depping vocalist Paul Skerritt Let the Good Times Roll; style, presence, timing. Gerry Mulligan’s Red Door and Frankie and Johnny and a Trombone Guy worked as swinging big band tunes.
Veronica Lake (aka Lindsay Hannon) confessed: Alright, Okay You Win. Ms Hannon is a natural big band singer. Skerritt took the floor once more to sing Cheek to Cheek (the all-too-small lounge precluded dancing). I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin hip-hop style worked against expectations as the locked-in rhythm section didn’t miss a hip-hop beat. Moondance had Mr Skerritt ‘working the room’ with an easy charm. First set done (numerous top flight solo spots, superb section work), any concerns about the Strictly Smokin’ in the Black Bull’s small lounge had been swept away. Time for a refill before the second set.
The Buddy Rich big band arrangement of Love for Sale knocked ‘em for six (ace solos from Steve Summers, the depping Graham Hardy and Paul Gowland). The trumpet section – Lamb, Hardy. Gordon Marshall and the gum-chewing Dick Stacey – really nailed the intro on Pianitis (thrilling stuff!). Thad Jones’ Us was the stuff of the Monday night blowing big band (close your eyes and you were in NYC). The Strictly Smokin’s Three Tenors, Messrs Summers, Gowland and Jamie Toms stood up and had a blast on Sax Alley. MD Michael Lamb brought along a challenging chart by Tom Garling – Song for A.E.G. – and the boys in the band did splendidly. Think not so much straight ahead big band fare, more Gil Evans. It was, perhaps, the musical highlight of the evening.
The SSBB has many accomplished soloists in its ranks. All shone, with particularly outstanding contributions from Hardy, Graham Don (keyboards), Guy Swinton (drums) and Jamie Toms. The night was an unqualified success. A return visit to Blaydon Jazz Club by the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band should guarantee a full house. Be there.       
Photos
Russell.         
Michael Lamb (MD), Dick Stacey, Graham Hardy & Gordon Marshall (trumpets), Kieran Parnaby, Mark Ferris, Tom Dowling & John Flood (trombones), Paul Gowland (tenor saxophone), Jamie Toms (tenor saxophone), Steve Summers (tenor, alto & soprano saxophones, clarinet), Keith Robinson (alto saxophone), Laurie Rangecroft (baritone saxophone), Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar), Graham Don (keyboards), Michael Whent (bass), Guy Swinton (drums), Lindsay Hannon & Paul Skerritt (vocals)

2 comments :

Patti D. said...

Oh, what a night ... and I missed it!! Sounds absolutely fabulous.

Hugh said...

Nice review, Russell - and neatly sums up the evening.

You forgot one thing though, Steve Summers' flute - I certainly saw it, but I'm not sure I heard it!

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