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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

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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