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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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Fri 04: Satoko Fujii @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & Lit & Phil.
Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Amirtha Kidambi w. Manon McCoy @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. £8.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. Gem Arts, JNE & Lit & Phil.
Fri 04: Ziv Taubenfeld/Olie Brice/Kresten Osgood + Andy Champion + Izumi Kimura & Gerry
Hemingway @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & Lit & Phil.
Fri 04: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: As I Sing & Breathe @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 7:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. ‘Songs & Improvisations’ - Nicols, Dalling & guests.
Fri 04: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 04: John Rowland Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 05: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: Musical Boxing Training @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 2:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. ‘A workshop for musical improvisers’. An event in a boxing ring!
Sat 05: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Wylam Village Institute, Church Road, Wylam NE41 8AP. Doors 7:00pm. Tickets £15.00. + £1.50. bf, available from: www.gigantic.com.
Sat 05: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. From 7:00pm. £12.00. Bright Street Big Band on stage at 7:30pm, preceded at 7:00pm by a swing dance taster session.
Sat 05: J.A.M. String Collective + Tara Cunningham + The Flame @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & Lit & Phil.
Sat 05: Heavy Drunk @ Anarchy Brewery, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00. + £1.50. bf. ‘Mississippi Delta Blues Experience’ feat. Heavy Drunk, Watermelon Slim & Leonardo Giuliani.
Sat 05: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: Musical Boxing Night @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 7:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. Nicols, Dalling ao. An event in a boxing ring!
Sat 05: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 05: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Swarland Village Hall NE65 9JG. 8:00pm. £12.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm (12:30pm doors). £7.50.
Sun 06: Luis Verde Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Catriona Bourne Quartet + Heather Ferrier + Emma Johson’s Gravy Boat @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & The Globe.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Darlington Jazz Festival. April 25: From Clervaux to the Quakerhouse

(Review by Russell)
Saturday morning. A pastry? A coffee? The Coniscliffe Road Clervaux Bakery with its sunlit covered courtyard provided the perfect platform to serve up an all-day jazz menu. Early birds (ten o’clock) enjoyed the piano playing of Steve McGarvie. On the hour, an ever changing roster of soloists or duos played for twenty minutes or so. The pairing of Dean Stockdale and Jonny Dunn worked well; piano dovetailing nicely with trumpet. A relaxed Misty encapsulating the day’s laidback approach. A rustle of a broadsheet, food orders brisk, quiet chatter, well-behaved tots. Chill. 
Voice and guitar; Zoe Gilby and the singer’s accompanist of choice – Mark Williams. Ms Gilby dedicated an original tune to celebrate her mother’s birthday. It was all about a redheaded girl from the ‘north east of nowhere’ (nice lyric). The Baker siblings (Amy, bass and Alex, tenor), more McGarvie with tenor/baritone Jazz Tones band mate Alan Thompson and to close the afternoon an opportunity for Durham County Youth Big Band pianist Max Goodall to show what he could do on his own. He did just fine.
On to the afternoon session at the Quakerhouse in Mechanics’ Yard. The compact room, all beams, brick and beer (the new home to Darlington Jazz Club) featured three sets. A major incident across town (a restored former cinema was going up in smoke) delayed the arrival of bassist Neil Harland (roads closed off, diversions in place). A reshuffle of the programme saw Gilby and Williams back in action sooner than anticipated. Brubeck, Monk, Juan Tizol and Gilby material captivated the audience in the snug upstairs room. Mr Harland duly arrived and set-up in double quick time to work in a trio with the busy pianist Dean Stockdale and drummer Stephen Fletcher. This I Dig of You (Hank Mobley), On the Sunnyside of the Street, Nostalgia in Times Square. Top quality material and top quality playing. Then, a surprise guest appearance. The BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year Alexander Bone joined the trio for a couple of numbers. Altoist Bone comes from the Darlington area. It was quite something to hear him in a town centre pub. Brilliant, that’s the word. Those who watched the BBC’s televised competition will have an idea of just what he’s capable of. This small group, small venue appearance, heard him at close quarters. Cherokee (Bone was all over it!) and On Green Dolphin Street, no mistake, this young man can play. How he does it is beyond mere mortals. An ‘I was there’ moment.
To close the afternoon’s entertainment another County Durham-raised star brought in an exceptionally talented quartet. Tenor saxophonist Will Howard (he came up through the ranks of the renowned Durham County Youth Big Band) is typically self-effacing of the younger generation of musicians. A quartet of equals (all of whom have been heard on the north east scene), this set hit the heights. A pad of classic material (with one Howard composition) given a contemporary treatment. Jim Hall’s Slam (featuring guitarist John Brown, a distinctive talent), Jobim, Star-Crossed Lovers, a couple from the pen of Joe Henderson. The bass and drums pairing of the exceptionally good Tom Riviere and Steve Hanley made for an integrated group performance. Howard’s timing, sound, everything about him marks him out as a generous talent. Abundant technique, yet subservient to the sound he was pursuing, Howard must be heard. A fabulous afternoon at the Quakerhouse.
Russell.              


    

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