Total Pageviews

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.

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.

Blog Archive