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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Paul Edis & Graham Hardy @ The Jazz Café. September 19

Paul Edis (piano) & Graham Hardy (trumpet & flugelhorn)
(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley).
It was busy in town; an Indian summer’s day, the Toon stung by the Hornets, university hopefuls by the thousand visiting our seats of learning and staying over, South Tyneside rockers the Wildhearts packing out the Academy. The ‘jazz institute’ on Pink Lane, the Jazz Café that is, offered a free course in the art of jazz playing. Lecturers Paul Edis and Graham Hardy were gratified to see their ‘students’ made the effort to be in attendance, some taking notes!
This was, of course, another duo concert performance at the Jazz Café. Pianist Paul Edis teamed up with dapper brass man Graham Hardy (see photograph). Saturday evenings in the Caff are intimate affairs; just the two of them and their audience. Brotherhood of Man and Black and Tan Fantasy (Hardy muted) opened the programme. A couple of originals followed – You Talkin’ to Me? (this one would have come in useful later in the evening) and Boot Tree Blues (referencing Heaton Park’s community arts creation). Pianist Edis, as usual, got the best out of the house upright Hyundai and Hardy reminded us why he is an in demand brass player, equally adept on flugelhorn as trumpet.
Kenny Wheeler’s For Jan, with a waltz-like feel, featured flugelhorn (the late Canadian’s compositions have, of late, featured in set lists at several gigs). Audience numbers grew, the garrulous prominent amongst them, as the first set culminated with a brace of tunes – the first of which prompted the question ‘Who wrote it?’ Edis’ sheet music said M. Davis whereas Hardy’s indicated W. Shorter. Your reviewer sided with the latter. Late night post-gig research suggested the latter, Wayne Shorter. Oh, the tune…ESP. The musicianship of the highest order, the duo upped the ante on Parisian Thoroughfare. Superb playing, worth the admission charge, had there been one.
Second set the place was heaving. A minor expletive deleted spat between two patrons – a rare occurrence indeed – threatened to get out of hand. Oh, for De Niro’s one-liner! In time honoured fashion, the band played on. And how! Passion Dance heard playing as if commanded by the Axeman of Jazz! The ‘You lookin’ at me?’ stand off at the bar a long-forgotten side show, an Edis/Hardy arrangement of My Funny Valentine took a new look at the classic number – impressive! Edis at the Jazz Café wouldn’t be Edis without Monk and trumpeter Hardy was more than happy to comply – flat cap in place of pork pie (see photograph). JS Bach made it onto the set list; a two part invention (no.4). Fantastic! In an instant we had a trio of improvisers – Edis, Hardy and Bach. The Baroque in a bar on a Saturday night. To close, Edith Piaf. La Vie en Rose. Huge applause. ‘You lookin’ for jazz? You got it at the Jazz Café.
Earlier a short visit to the Vermont Hotel found the place doing good business. A seven o’clock engagement with Ruth Lambert in the company of Teessider Jeremy McMurray served as an aperitif. Some Where over the Rainbow as defined by Ms Lambert. Perched on a bar stool, pianist McMurray the sensitive accompanist at her side, Lambert’s love of the Gas Book evident. A mischievous hotel guest asked: Do you know any Nirvana? Of course, replied Lambert, but not on this occasion. An interval chat with the duo; rugger, football, cliff-hanging houses, grand pianos and Dolly Parton. Lambert and McMurray had to get back to work, the Jazz Café beckoned. Lover Man. Class at the Vermont.            
Russell            

1 comment :

stevebfc said...

Great playing but I bet St James Park was quieter than cacophony raised by some of the drinkers at the back.

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