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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Leash @ Jazz Café, Newcastle – April 22

Mark Williams (gtr); Andy Champion (bs gtr); Adrian Tilbrook (dms).
(Review by Stephen Tulip/Photo courtesy of Vincent Chang)
Effects pedals seem to have been the order of the day in Newcastle on Friday with Andy Champion and Mark Williams measuring up against each other at the Jazz Café.
It's the first time I've heard Andy on electric bass and, if anything, he's even more impressive, drawing on both Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke, but doesn't everybody?  increasingly dominating the soloing, particularly in part 2, though the Weather Report mantra - we never solo, we always solo - also seems appropriate to this band. One person suggested the guitar and bass had swapped roles.
I know Mark’s playing quite well by now and a relative of mine had hoped to get his hat-trick playing with his local guitar heroes at the jam session, but the axe was hung up by the time we got there; another time perhaps.
Adrian Tilbrook is one of the most respected drummers around but was still a revelation, maintaining a semblance of order through some seriously abstract, far-out, free fusion that was bombarding him from right and left, and looking like he was having a ball the whole time.
It's a cliché but it's true, this is no guitar trio, but the ultimate north-east jazz super power trio of equals (and try saying all that after a skin-full). In short, the cream.
Comparisons abound, including various John McLaughlin groups and followers and Mark has a love of Pat Metheny that he wears on his sleeve. Also bands from the jazzy/experimental end of progrock and in Mark, (as with Steve Glendenning rocking out ), I always hear Jan Akkerman circa Focus 3, an album under-rated by prog-rockers and largely unknown to jazzers.
Insomuch as such things are relevant - and John Surman gave us permission not to concern ourselves with song titles - the second piece seemed more straightforward jazz in a Wes Montgomery vein; one intro suggested the proverbial Ravi Shankar tune-up (though thankfully nobody applauded ) and the set was sprinkled with melodies half recognised and by the end I was hearing Santana in the mix.
One tiny reservation, which is a personal thing, no doubt based on my own background, which applies to virtually every jazz guitarist of the moment, is that they all seem reluctant to completely let rip. By the mid-seventies even Zappa, who'd mocked his popstar antics, accepted the language of Hendrix and McLaughlin accepted it right off, though he saved turning up to eleven for the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Perhaps it's now considered a cliché or passé but it seems to me, to have this weapon and not use it is akin to an orchestra omitting the violin section, a seriously soulful singer supressing their pain, or Santana telling his percussionists to stand down. Towards the end of the set, following a lengthy freeform dialogue, I was all set for the guitar to spontaneously combust but instead we got a burst of St Thomas, which was actually just as good.
The encore was an ACV track which found all 3 giving a final workout at full pelt. Andy pointed out they were 60% of Mark 1 and, when asked where the other 2 were, offered Prince and Victoria Wood followed by the retort 'too soon?'
With something at the Globe and a very tempting night in Darlington, attendance was pretty good with us oldies the most appreciative and those pesky thirty somethings a little noisy, though not disrespectful or distracting and the oldies didn't seem to mind unless they're simply used to it. It's a shame, with every household now owning Kind of Blue, at least, more of the jazz/ music community around Newcastle don't get to hear more of the great bands who play the citys' jazz venues.  
Somebody said he wouldn't speak to me again if I gave a bad review. As if I could.
Steven

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