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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17372 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 656 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (Sept. 17).

From This Moment On ...

September

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 1:00-2:45pm. Free.
Sat 21: Vieux Carré Hot Four @ The Beehive, Hartley Lane, Earsdon Whitley Bay NE25 0SZ. 4:30pm-6:30pm.
Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sun 22: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Richard Herdman @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 22: Remy CB Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:30pm. Free. Remi, 2024 Newcastle Uni graduate, superb soul/blues voice!

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Paul Booth with the Paul Edis Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert! SOLD OUT!

Tue 24: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv. from Tully’s of Rothbury). Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 24: Sarah Gillespie @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £16.50. Duo performance with Chris Montague.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Grew Quartet + Grew Watts Duo + Grew Quintet @ Lit & Phil - March 17.

(Review/photos courtesy of Ken Drew.)
This highly anticipated double bill was quickly re-arranged into a 3-set Jazz North East treat at the Lit & Phil.
First set – the quartet – all in together from the outset.  Stephen on the piano with very extensive and dynamic use of the keyboard, along with the left hand occasionally modulating the mid-strings as the right hand continued its workout along the keyboard.   Virtually all played throughout – no ‘solo’ spots as such creating a continuously complex and energetic sound, enthralling the audience. The clarinet at times competing with the piano – each urging the other on, with bass and drums constantly underpinning the mix.  Then a quiet passage – a bass solo – plucking both above and below the left-hand finger positions. Very enthusiastic playing!   Overall, very energetic interplay, and just like the local Wylam beer, very accessible and very tasty!!   A pity it was limited to just half an hour!!  What a superb opening set.
Duo set.   Trevor blasting in from the start with nice harmonics echoing from the openly-sustained piano.   Stephen on the piano producing such pyrotechnics from one pair of hands!!  Both hands a frenzy up and down the keys, with plucked individual strings along the way, yet in total unison with Trevor throughout.  I think Trevor was ‘leading’ but Stephen was surely only microseconds behind.  Again, such dynamics were demonstrated both across the keys and inside the grand too, with many fleeting  excursions inside to pluck individual strings with the left hand – each done mid-flight as there was much work to be done on the keys.  Constantly responding to the challenge from Trevor.  What a Masterclass!!  Two pieces expertly delivered, and each ‘closed’ neatly and succinctly by mutual aural agreement.
Third set, the Quintet.  Straight in from the off again, and all playing constantly, for the most part, each adding their own expressions yet following the mood and direction of the piece as it developed.  The ‘wind’ (Trevor and Matt) occasionally converging perfectly on glissandos.  Both were giving a good blowout, and were so well matched.  Stephen’s right hand picking harp-like at the upper strings of the grand, bass and drums energetically taking their own solo spots.   All players were in unison from start to finish, and concluded with a clean, nicely developed ending.
The audience, which was of a decent size, nicely filled the Lit & Phil’s performance room, aiding the acoustics which were very clear and were amply rewarded with a superb three sets by a quartet, a duo and a quintet, each with musicians of breath-taking ability exhibiting some high-velocity workouts.  We were later told that these 5 players had never played together before. Wow!! What an introduction!!  Following the most enthusiastic applause, a concluding remark noted it was ‘an example of Empathetic improvisation at its very finest‘.  Let’s hope we see a follow-up in the not too distant future.  
Ken.
Grew Quartet: Stephen Grew (piano); Seth Bennett (bass); Phil Marks (drums); Matt Robinson (clarinets).
Stephen Grew - Trevor Watts Duo: Stephen Grew (piano); Trevor Watts (alto & soprano sax)
Grew Quintet: Stephen Grew (piano); Seth Bennett (bass); Phil Marks (drums); Matt Robinson (clarinets); Trevor Watts (alto & soprano).

3 comments :

Paul Bream said...

Thanks Ken - great review of a great gig. I'm generally very sceptical about 'Gig of the Year' accolades (there are so many to choose from), but this will undoubtedly take some beating. And the players all commented on what a great, receptive audience it was . . . but where were the local musicians? I spotted one saxophonist, one pianist and two drummers in attendance. It's not about learning, its about enjoying - although, of course, if one or two ideas rub off, well, isn't that the way that jazz has always developed?

Lance said...

I mentioned this awhile back, either on here or on facebook.
One person replied, "when I'm fortunate enough to get a night off the last thing I want to do is go to a gig!"
Seems as though it's a national thing, a friend of mine in London remarked on a similar scenario down there. Someone else said that maybe a musician who hasn't got a gig doesn't want to be seen by someone who has! I've also noted that players who do go to gigs are often the worst offenders when it comes chatting away during the music!
Possibly because so many have graduated from Jazz Education courses they feel superior to the guy who paid his dues in clubs/pubs at night after an 8 hour day in an office/shop/factory?
At one time gigs used to offer concessions to MU members.

EmmaFiskJazzVio said...

I think I commented when this came up last time. Speaking personally, as anyone else who works and has children when I'm not at work I have dishes to wash, children to feed, shopping to do, tunes to practice...I do occasionally get to a gig but life is busy!
Certainly hope I'm not guilty of any of the crimes you mention Lance!

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