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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. POSTPONED!
Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two.
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Schmazz presents the Jonathan Silk Big Band @ The Black Swan - July 28









(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew.)
The ethereal, tentative, probing, opening bars confirmed, what the pre-concert blurb had hinted at, that this was to be no powerhouse "hit him in the slats Bob"* big band but more of a contemporary jazz orchestra approach. Not that it was without excitement although some wag sitting at the back, stage whispered "I thought they were still tuning up!" - he left shortly after! It was complex and cleverly arranged without seeming to have been arranged at all. Section pitted against section, not in the traditional call and response format but rather like a 20th century symphonic work whereby contrasting melodic lines complemented each other. Dissonant at times? Yes, but dissonance has come a long way since the Peanut Vendor.
The addition of tuba added extra depth, as it has done in the past with various legendary ensembles including Miles Davis, Gil Evans and John Dankworth, making for a fuller ensemble sound
Tenor saxists Fleming and Wright slugged it out, Adam Chatterton, cucumber cool on flugel, Tom McNiven blew trumpet like he does when let off the leash in the SNJO, Silk played a major part as leader, composer/arranger and drummer - he kicked off the second set with an extended solo that showed us what he could do with a pair of sticks but, in the main, contented himself with meaningful support. Guitar, keys, bass (guitar and upright) kept us in the present whilst Mikey Owers, who I'm reliably informed has replaced Ryan Quigley in Brass Jaw, excelled on trombone. Not many trumpet players could replace Quigley so for a trombonist to get the gig speaks volumes.
Talking about volumes...
The lack of microphones made many of Silk's announcements inaudible to those of us sitting in 'the gallery'.  The absence of mics also presented problems for the sax soloists - particularly when the band were riffing behind them. Baritone sax (Maddock?) the most notable casualty.
The personnel given below is what was advertised, however, Phil O'Malley played some cracking trombone solos so he too was in there sliding - clarification needed. 
A quite memorable occasion.
Lance.
John Fleming, Mike Fletcher, Adam Jackson; Chris Maddock, Joe Wright (reeds); Mike Adlington, Adam Chatterton, Matt Gough, Tom McNiven (trumpets); Richard Foote, Kieran McLeod, Mikey Owers (trombones); Andy Johnson (tuba); Tom Ford (guitar); Andy Bunting (keyboards); Nick Jurd (bass); Jonathan Silk (drums).
"Hit him in the slats Bob" the legendary instruction Mrs Fitzsimmons is reported to have shouted to her husband during Bob Fitzsimmons' world title fight with James J. Corbett which, interpreted, meant "Hit him in the guts".

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