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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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - this week only.
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

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.
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).

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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