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Bebop Spoken There

David Hadju: "It was kind of a lightning bolt [seeing a photo of a hi-fi store that's now occupied by a phone store]. Everyone had hi-fi systems, now everyone has a phone" - (DownBeat May 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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Sun 28: Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia @ Whitley Bay Carnival. Free. Plaza Arena stage. 12 noon.
Sun 28: MSK @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 12:15pm. Free. Marquee stage. MSK - Steve Glendinning, Katy Trigger, Martin Douglas.
Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 1:30pm. Free. Marquee stage.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary's Church, Wooler NE71 6BZ. 3:00pm. £15.00 standard; £5.00 student/unwaged; free under 18. Afternoon Cocktail, a Wooler Summer Arts' concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 3:00pm. Free. Plaza Arena stage.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 28: King Bees @ The Delaval Arms, Old Hartley NE26 4RL. 5:00pm. Free. Chicago blues at its best!
Sun 28: Matt Anderson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Anderson (saxophones); Jamil Sheriff (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums).

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 30: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 30: Big Chris Barber Band @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sunday, May 01, 2016

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra - The Music of Dave Brubeck @ Sage Gateshead April 30

Bill Dobbins (pno); John Nugent (alto) w. Scottish National Jazz Orchestra directed by Tommy Smith.*
(Review by Lance).
Sage Gateshead's contribution to International Jazz Day was just that - International! Two Americans and an assortment of Scots combining to pay tribute to the late legend that was Dave Brubeck.
Frequently vilified by the critics during his lifetime, Brubeck has, upon his passing, become semi-sanctified. The true assessment lies somewhere in between. Certainly he could, at times, go over the top pounding the piano into near submission. However, he was also capable of great sensitivity as one of the evenings pieces, In Your Own Sweet Way, proved. 
Brubeck's main claim to fame was probably the innovative introduction of time signatures other than the usual 4/4 or occasional 3/4 that were the norm prior to the quartet's Time Out album. Numbers such as Take 5, Blue Rondo, Raggy Waltz, Unsquare Dance etc were unique conceptions that took jazz into a new dimension. Absolutely brilliant but it was difficult tapping your feet in 5/4 time! Personally, I preferred his earlier recordings such as Jazz at Oberlin which was straight down the middle swing. 
Prior to the concert, I knew little about the two featured American soloists. From Row M Dobbins even looked a bit like Brubeck although his playing wasn't quite as flamboyant as the late Dave's. Nugent, didn't look like Paul Desmond but he did display similar lyricism and his fuller tone was a delight to hear.
The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra rank amongst the world's finest and it was inspirational of Tommy Smith to approach Dobbins to orchestrate the quartet's music for big band. 
The band cut the charts brilliantly - in particular, the blend of the sax section on In Your Own Sweet Way - truly an object lesson in voicing a section. One of those rare moments when the Earth moves!
The raiders frae over the border also had outstanding moments solo--wise. Tommy Smith blew flute on Nomad, from Jazz Impressions of Eurasia with Phil O'Malley adding some trombone exotica. Tom McNiven excelled on flugel during It's a Raggy Waltz. Smith played tenor on Cassandra as did Wiszniewski on Mr. Fats. Paul Towndrow had a blast on Winter Ballad that was by no means overshadowed by Nugent.
All in all an enjoyable evening that deserved to have been better supported.
Prior to the concert, Dobbins, Nugent and Smith told those present about how the project came about. The SNJO were playing at the Rochester Jazz Festival in New York. Dobbins was not only playing there but also organising it and the rest, as they say, is history.
Lance.
PS: In an age where concert programmes cost almost as much as the tickets, it was a refreshing change to find out that at this gig they were free! 
*Click on programme for personnel of SNJO

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