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Bebop Spoken There

Quincy Jones: ''What's great about coming from a little town is that you're a big fish in a little pond and it gives you the confidence when you get to New York to be able to really compete''. (Jazzwise, December 2024/January 2025).

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

17562 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 836 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Nov. 22).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:15pm (12 noon doors). £7.50. Note earlier start.
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 01: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Laurels, Whitley Road, Whitley Bay. 4:00pm. £10.00. SOLD OUT!
Sun 01: Martin Fletcher Band @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 01: Mark Williams Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Album launch gig.
Sun 01: Christmas After Hours @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society event. Six piece band.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137.1:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 03: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Concert. Free. .
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 04: Kat Eaton @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:15pm. Soulful vocals, excellent band.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘George - named musicians, vocalists & composers (Chisholm, Duke, Lewis, Shearing, Benson, Melly, Gershwin et al)’.
Thu 05: Jools Holland’s R & B Orchestra @ Newcastle City Hall. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. Free.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. Guest band special with the Middlesbrough Jazz and Blues Orchestra 8pm. Free.

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 07: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St. Cuthbert’s Church, Shadforth DH6 1LB. Tel: 01429 823400. 7:30pm. £15.00. (inc. refreshments).
Sat 07: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 07: Bellavana @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 7:45-9:45pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

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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