Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

David Hadju: "It was kind of a lightning bolt [seeing a photo of a hi-fi store that's now occupied by a phone store]. Everyone had hi-fi systems, now everyone has a phone" - (DownBeat May 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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Sun 28: Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia @ Whitley Bay Carnival. Free. Plaza Arena stage. 12 noon.
Sun 28: MSK @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 12:15pm. Free. Marquee stage. MSK - Steve Glendinning, Katy Trigger, Martin Douglas.
Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 1:30pm. Free. Marquee stage.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary's Church, Wooler NE71 6BZ. 3:00pm. £15.00 standard; £5.00 student/unwaged; free under 18. Afternoon Cocktail, a Wooler Summer Arts' concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 3:00pm. Free. Plaza Arena stage.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 28: King Bees @ The Delaval Arms, Old Hartley NE26 4RL. 5:00pm. Free. Chicago blues at its best!
Sun 28: Matt Anderson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Anderson (saxophones); Jamil Sheriff (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums).

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 30: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 30: Big Chris Barber Band @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller at Carnegie Hall 1939 @ The Gala Theatre, Durham. July 16

(Review by Russell).
Durham Brass Festival 2015 presented a recreation of the legendary 1939 Carnegie Hall showdown between Benny Goodman – the King of Swing – and the latest challenger to his throne – Glenn Miller. The Gala Theatre near to capacity, the band’s MC Pete Long said it seemed rather odd to be playing a concert at two o’clock on a summer’s afternoon. The orchestra comprised many of the big hitters on the London scene. As the band struck up Don’t Be That Way it was with an unoccupied trombone chair, obvious for all to see. Thanks to the inadequacies of the rail network Callum Au was nowhere to be seen. Long suggested the audience applaud upon his arrival. Two numbers in…huge applause as the casual Au strolled out and took his seat in the section for the first set (a Goodman set).
The band restored to a full compliment, One O’clock Jump made the joint jump. Trumpet section work of the highest order, led by Nathan Bray, featured the first of several superb solos from George Hogg. To their left stood Ryan Quigley – the betting was he wasn’t on the gig for the ride. A box of fire works was surely at his feet.
MC Long is a fine soloist. He featured in a Goodman trio setting on China Boy – clarinet, guitar and drums. Long also possesses a dry, witty line in repartee. He introduced the boy band singer…the ever-youthful Chris Dean. A tremendous trombone player, Dean could sing alright. The Goodman set flew by…Down South Camp Meeting (cue innuendo from the mischievous Long) and a scorching Sing Sing Sing brought the curtain down on a fine first set.
Interval chatter in the bar – a good set, great players…oh, Miller next! Well, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. Moonlight Serenade – the first few bars, then Running Wild with big tenor from Dean Masser. A further vocal feature for the boy band singer Chris Dean on a well received Stairway to the Stars highlighted Pete Long’s observation that the musicians on stage at the Gala were the same – first set, then second set, yet the sound was different due to their musicianship and the material they were playing. Long’s comment that Miller delivered a punter-friendly sound, and that he was clever in doing so, registered with your reviewer. Goodman played jazz, but so too Miller in his own way, with, as Long said, ‘the rough edges taken off it’. Certainly this ‘mature’ Gala Theatre audience loved every tune, be it Goodman or Miller. Discerning? Who cares? In the Mood…walking sticks waving, zimmer frames discarded, they were up – slowly – reliving something or other. A finale heard the same tune twice. Clever stuff from Long. Bugle Call Rag Miller-style, then by way of comparison, the Goodman take. Hear the difference! Hear Ryan Quigley. Didn’t you know he’d try and blow the roof off?!
The main man driving, if not conducting, the whole thing, Richard Pite gave a flawless performance. One remarkable feature of this Durham Brass Festival concert…the entire band played acoustically, including double bassist Calum Gourlay! It just goes to show, volume isn’t everything. A rare treat.    
Russell.
Pete Long (MC & clarinet), Dean Masser (tenor saxophone & clarinet), Paul Nathaniel (tenor saxophone & clarinet), Colin Skinner (alto & clarinet), Peter Ripper (alto saxophone & clarinet), ? (alto saxophone & clarinet),  George Hogg (trumpet), Nathan Bray (trumpet), Ryan Quigley (trumpet), Chris Dean (trombone & vocals), Andy Flaxman (trombone), Callum Au (trombone), ? (guitar), Bunny Thompson (piano), Calum Gourlay (double bass) & Richard Pite (drums)

No comments :

Blog Archive