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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15867 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 874 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (Sept. 25).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sat 30: John Pope Quintet + Late Girl + Shapeshifters @ Bobik's, Jesmond, Newcastle.
Sat 30: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

OCTOBER

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums). CANCELLED!

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: TBC @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

GIJF – Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Sage Gateshead. April 15

(Review/photos by Kath Jobes)
After a brief welcome and introduction from Ros Rigby OBE, Performance Programme Director at The Sage, a wall of sound that is the SSBB greeted the audience which encompassed several local Jazz musicians including the delightfully talented and elegant Alice Grace, who hopefully we shall hear at next year’s festival… it’s fantastic that local musicians support one another. 

The tables soon filled up and the standing area was jam packed within minutes A fabulous intro with the lovely Lindsay Hannon singing The More I See You.  This was equalled in impact by F’reez’s first number, Harry Connick Jnr’s version of I Could Write A Book.  I have seen SSBB on many occasions and this was one of the best sound-wise, I guess that pro sound guys make all the difference when it comes to getting that wall of sound, and it would seem that the relocation of the concourse stage between the two staircases has provided a more intimate setting and greatly improved acoustics!
A couple of really tight numbers from the Band, I love Paris featuring the mellow trombone of  Mark Ferris and My Favourite Things led to a newer number from Ms. Hannon,  Bob Milner’s TV Blues with a stupendous  frontline of all five Saxes, followed by  Not Just a Date.  The band went from strength to strength with a Disney tune, Zero to Hero and Song for my Father featuring Steve Summers (Alto), Keiron Parnaby (tmb) and Band Leader, Michael Lamb (tpt),  F’reez finished off the first set with Let the Good Times Roll, and boy oh boy were they rollin’!
The second set kicked off with F’reez and Cheek to Cheek, which brought 2 pairs of dancers to the floor, and for most of the second set we were given a superb display of swing dance; the couples alternated partners to take rest breaks and show off a variety of moves.
Art Blakey’s Moanin’ featured more of the usual suspects, Paul Gowland, (ten) Pete Tanton (tpt), Graham Don (pno) and Steve Summers (Alto), then  gave way to F‘reez turned on That Old Black Magic and F’reez responded with Almost Like Being in Love.  Then Miss Hannon said things became Too Darn Hot, so for the final number she took us on a cool trip down Route 66… the crowd yelled for one more so F’reez obliged with Hallelujah I Love Her So…  yep… the crowd loved the SSBB so too!
Saturday evening sees more fabulous concourse music, all for free, I recommend The Lindsay Hannon Plus who are in the same late spot from 10pm onwards, and the Late Night Jam Session at the Jazz Café with the Pete Gilligan Trio… not to be missed!
Kath.
Strictly Smokin’ Big Band: MD Michael Lamb, Pete Tanton, Tom Hill, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Kieran Parnaby, Mark Ferris, Robert ‘Pez’ Perry, Dr John Flood (trombones); Laurie Rangecroft, Paul Gowland, Jamie Toms, Steve Summers, Keith Robinson (reeds), Graham Don (piano), Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar), Michael Whent (bass), Guy Swinton (drums), Lindsay Hannon (vocals) & F’reez (vocals)

1 comment :

Patti said...

I shouldn't have wussed out after the first set - excuses, excuses! I'll have to wait until June - I've booked my tickets for this fab band's Hoochie Coochie gig. A great review, Kath - and yes, the sound was excellent.

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