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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.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Sinatraland - Sage Gateshead. Nov. 26

Claire Martin, Liane Carroll, Ian Shaw (vcl) w. BBC Big Band; Mark Nightingale (MD) inc. Martin Shaw, Brian Rankine (tpt); John Higginbotham, Gordon Campbell, Ashley Horton (tmb); Steve Main, Jamie Anderson, Howard McGill, Jay Craig, Stewart Forbes (reeds); Robin Aspland (pno);  Tommy Emmerton (guitar); Dave Whitford (bs); Tom Gordon (dms).
Didn't get the full personnel, it differed from anticipated line-up.
(Review by Lance).
Has the Sinatra Centenary bubble finally burst? judging by last night's poor turn out it may well have. Not surprising as it has been running in one form or another throughout the world since January in halls large and small and it's now almost December in one of the biggest halls of all!*
Claire Martin did the announcing and provided the highlight of the evening with as emotive a reading of In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning as you will hear anywhere. Accompanied by just guitar and bass this was something I doubt if even Frank could have bettered.
Ian Shaw sang It's a Lonesome Old Town adding "Just like Gateshead"! Liane Carroll (pictured left) sang a sensitive version of How Insensitive and all three closed the show with Lady is a Tramp. There were, of course, many more songs from the Sinatra repertoire but the above gives the general flavour.
Personally, I'd like to have heard Shaw and Carroll** in their more familiar setting - playing piano and singing - at times the balance didn't do them any favours.
Bandwise, Martin Shaw (pictured right), Sammy Mayne, Jamie Anderson, Howard McGill and John Higginbotham were among the soloists. Martin Shaw playing relaxed flugel on All or Nothing at All.
A curate's egg I think.
Lance.
* The concert not being listed in the Sage Gateshead Sept.-Nov. brochure may have also been a contributing factor as a friend pointed out to me.
* *Liane Carroll is back in April.

4 comments :

Hugh C said...

Reading between the lines, I think your impression (Lance) was similar to mine. Given the quality of the individual performers and the band, I would have expected more. It never quite got off the ground somehow. This was not helped by the sound - far too much reverb on the singers' mikes and many of the instrumental solos could not be heard properly.
I moved after the interval to avoid sweetie-packet rustlers in one of the "boxes", to find myself sat in front of a couple who insisted on having a conversation through the full second half. I might have enjoyed the second half better without the running commentary!

Peter Bevan said...

Entirely agree about the sound - the amplification did neither the singers or the band any good.
Felt like the audience was there as an afterthought and it will be interesting to hear how much better the sound is when it's broadcast on Radio 3.
On the personnel I think you may be able to add Gordon Campbell & Ashley Horton (tb), Tom Gordon (d), Stewart Forbes (bar & b-cl), and Dave Whitford (b) who with the guitarist was one of the best musicians on the night.
Also think Claire announced Steve Main rather than Sammy Mayne.
Peter Bevan
You can see more of what I thought in the Darlington & Stockton Times in 2/3 weeks.

Lance said...

Thanks Peter it was one of those gigs that didn't get off the ground for me. I had him down as Steve but assumed it was Sammy! - Doh! Apologies to all concerned.

Hugh said...

I have now listened to the broadcast - much better sound balance, and no reverb!

I noted Claire Martin's poetic licence - "the capacity crowd here"...

... much the same as the capacity crowd in the Commons when MPs "doughnut" around the member speaking for the benefit of the viewer(s) of live TV broadcast of debates.

Peter - could you post a link to your review in the Darlington and Stockton Times when it is published?

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