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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Monday, May 16, 2016

Early Birds Band @ Lit and Phil - May 14.

Paul Edis - alto, piano, MD. Ben Lawrence - trumpet. Nick Caughey - tenor. Francis Tulip - guitar. Dan Lawrence - bass guitar. Mathew MacKellar - drums. James Metcalfe - trumpet. Phil Grobe - piano.
(Review by Steven T).
With none of the mainstays there, it's fallen to me and my extended, misspent youth impaired memory to report on the latest offering from Dr. Edis and his young hopefuls. 
With the approaching departure of a couple of members he's added James Metcalfe on trumpet and Dr. Phil on piano, perhaps to replace Francis on guitar and to free up Paul to further beef up the horns.
This hit immediately on opener Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock with two trumpets, alto and tenor coming over more like a classic funk band horn section  than soloists, although all delivered accomplished solos during the course of the morning.
No reflection on the trumpet players whatsoever and I know they'll forgive me if, for once, I single out Nick for his lovely, uncluttered, effortless, natural sound; more Lester Young or Ben Webster than Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins or Trane. When I arrived just before they went on, he was sat playing his horn in an exact Pres position and I wished I'd had a pork pie hat to stick on his head.
Soul is not something you can learn, practice or fake and when it intersects with technique and composition (including improvisation) is when Jazz becomes the Great American/C20th Art Form. Shame he's not pursuing music as a career but great he's sticking around.
Couple of birthdays in the audience changed the format a little and the rest of the band left Francis and Paul on piano to play Vignette, a Paul original for Francis' mothers $%"&*()! birthday. The pair played this in Darlington a few weeks ago and it was magical and I hope it had a similar impact on his mother on her birthday.
Mother of Dan and Ben (or is it Ben and Dan?) also has a birthday; on Tuesday she'll be £()*&%$£ and the band played a great, fun, almost New Orleans style version of Happy Birthday.
The unsung hero of this band is often hard-working bass player Dan (or is it Ben?), always animated, his shoes off, who didn't take any solos this time but gave us an interesting reinterpretation of You've Got A Friend In Me from Toy Story, he's renamed For Friends.
Following Blues for Alice, maintaining the (Early) Bird continuum, Dan (Ben ) suggested the excellent Manteca by Dizzy, with some great quirky piano from Dr. Phil in a suitably concise solo, and ending with an excellent extended exchange between Paul on alto and drummer Mathew MacKellar.
They're back at the Lit and Phil at the same time on June 18 and July 16, supporting Sue Ferris at Ushaw on Friday, May 27, supporting the Gala Big Band in Crook on Friday July 15, opening Saturday at the Ushaw festival and the final performance of this particular line up is supporting Nigel Price at the Jazz Café on Friday, Sept. 16.
Steven T
In the picture, Francis and the Brothers Lawrence are unwinding after the gig.

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