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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.

Monday, December 07, 2015

Andy Hudson Remembers a Night with Dave Brubeck and George Shearing

Dave Brubeck was a complete gent, fantastic to work with and the only issue he ever had was that the piano was what he expected it to be, which is not unreasonable given his trade.
The late, great, Brian Theobald, wit, partner in Ronnie Scott's and Jazz agent always said of Dave Brubeck - "one of the nicest guys in the business - only thing is, every time I try and tap my foot to his music, I break my bloody ankle!" This referred, of course, to his use of complex time Take 5 in 5/4, Unsquare Dance in 7/4, Blue Rondo a la Turk in 9/8 and the lesser known World's Fair in 13/4.
I had the delight to produce/promote him a number of times and he always delivered to the audience the show they expected. In the late ‘80s I put him on at the Festival Hall on a double bill with George Shearing, 2 sell-out shows, and asked the appropriate question...." Would they play a duet as the show's encore - They politely declined.
Unable to resist however, Dave took his final bow and stepped away from his Baldwin piano and George’s Bosendorfer was still on the stage with George sitting in the wings having been watching Dave's performance, I leapt upon Dave's Baldwin and started the Riff that was obviously the start of Take 5 - though with my playing it may have been Take 4 and a half. I asked the audience if they would like to hear them play together and the crowd went berserk.
The maestros both came on, Dave bumped me off the piano stool and carried on. George's wife led him on the stage and they played an impromptu 20 minute encore - running up overtime at the RFH but who cared?
In the green room after the show they both called me names, but admitted that they had an absolute blast.
A year later at the Nice Festival as I walked towards him, he (Dave) just said "NO" then grinned. Come to think of it - never saw a photo when he wasn't smiling. Lovely Guy.
RIP.
Andy Hudson.
Dave Brubeck died on Dec. 5, 2012 just one day short of his 92nd birthday.
George Shearing died on Feb. 14, 2011 - he too was 91.

1 comment :

Lance said...

Great story Andy and I think, apart from the Kray Twins, you're the only guy who could have pulled it off!

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