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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.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

JNE/Splinter @ The Bridge, Newcastle. - MoHaWi/Square One Quartet

MoHaWi
Graham Hardy (trumpet & flugelhorn); Mark Williams (guitar); Russ Morgan (drums)
(Review photos courtesy of Ken Drew)
This first outing for a new trio pulled together for Splinter by Graham Hardy.
First tune, settling quickly into a gentle rhythmic groove with subtle electronic treatments to Graham’s trumpet, reminiscent of Ingrid Jensen’s sound at her recent JNE gig.  A good workout for the trio to establish their space. A good number to open with – despite the slow fade and long pause (false ending) before launching back into the main theme at full pace. 
Watch Your Step then segued into Moonless Views - a dreamlike sequence, again with tinges of Ingrid Jensen’s trumpet playing of a few weeks ago. Very restful, segueing in to something more expressive and dynamic but flowing nicely, carrying the audience along. Then into a gentle guitar solo from Mark with subtle accompaniment from Russ on drums. A nice contrast to the opener.   
On to a blues-based tune with each chasing each other, sneaking around the basic theme.  Recurring theme, but quite quirky with a fervent rhythm and some deft and skittish percussion by Russ. The sudden end took me by surprise!
Cities in the Night - a depiction of ships moored outside the Tyne piers in the dead of night. A seascape!  Introduction by wind noises from Graham’s trumpet are looped for the duration providing a nicely subtle background to the piece.   Near the end, Graham switches to electric bass to develop the feel and intensity of the tune.  This was quite a substantial and dynamic piece – quiet trumpet to start, louder rock-like guitar to end fading back to the dreamy lapping of the waves.  Cue rapturous applause!!  
SQUARE ONE QUARTET
Joe Williamson (guitar); Peter Johnstone (keyboards); David Bowden (bass); Stephen Henderson (drums)
Straight in to a driving yet interesting rhythm led by a guitar solo from Joe for Quicksand  [SH]  Nice theme set up and passed around the band, ending rather suddenly - a nice opener to establish everyone.  Then a segue into a much slower paced tune with a drifting feel which turned out to be just a massive slowing of pace which presumably depicted the final stages of quicksand? This concluded with a brief piano solo with hints of Messiaen through some complex but ever-so-subtle chord changes.  Initially (but only briefly) the band had hints of a modern Scandinavian piano-bass-drum trio but the addition of guitar along with their self-penned tunes gives it a markedly different feel.
12  [SH]  comprised a simple theme, passed around the members of the quartet now sounding well established as they worked together very enthusiastically with an energetic drum solo  at the end. The third tune, In Motion, was commissioned recently by Glasgow Jazz Festival so this was only its second time out!   Very dynamic with complex rhythms yet leaving plenty space for solo players.  Then Ending Song [DB] – a much slower pace with a longer bass solo. A nicely lyrical piece too.
The last tune  was Square One   Again sounding well established moving ultimately towards a big energetic crescendo. Wow ! What a piece to close with - it blew everyone away.
Overall, a great night, worthy of the Splinter spirit where new bands or new band mixes come along with fresh self-penned material. Well worth it.  More please !
Ken D.

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