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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15848 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 855 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Sept. 18).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: La Malbec Orchestra @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 21: Linsday Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Ray Stubbs R & B All Stars @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:30pm. Free.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: Brief Encounter @ Bardon Mill Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:00pm. Tickets: £10.00. adv from 07885 303166; £12.00. on the door. Chris & Veronica Perrin improvising to a screening of the 1929 'Jazz Age' silent film Piccadilly (Dir. Ewald André Dupont).
Fri 22: Paul Edis & Graeme Wilson + Three Tsuru Origami @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 22: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 22: Abbie Finn's Finntet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tanfield Railway, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. A '1940s Weekend' event.
Sat 23: Jason Isaacs @ Stack, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 23: Andrew Porritt & Keith Barrett @ Cullercoats Watch House, Front St., Cullercoats NE30 4QB. 7:00pm.
Sat 23: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Country blues.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thursday, September 08, 2016

Goodbye Dear Friend...

I have a novel, on the back-burner which will probably never be written, Entitled "It Always Rains at Funerals", it seemed as though that might be the case today. The heavens opened and the traffic at the Lindisfarne Roundabout was moving so slowly I wondered if I would get there in time for my funeral let alone Bill's! However, having set out early and having made a few trial runs we got there in time and the cortege, no doubt having similar problems, eventually arrived. By this time the rain had stopped and the sun shone, if not on the righteous, on those privileged to regard themselves as friends of Bill Shaw.
Apart from Mary and family, Newcastle Big Band associates, Andy Hudson and Germaine Stanger, as well as myself provided a link to Bill's musical past. George Watt, and, again, myself linked us to Jarrow Central School and pianist Neil Gutteridge, a longtime friend of us both, shared memories later at the wake.
I was last to enter so I'm not sure what the music was - it may have been Joe Morello working out on Take Five.
The Humanist guy did his piece and then Ella sang I'll See You in my Dreams with Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Peanuts Hucko on clarinet, Lou McGarity on trombone, Al Sears on tenor, Trigger Alpert on bass, Remo Palmieri on guitar, Buddy Weed piano and, natch, Buddy Rich on drums! 
If they'd chosen My Way I'd have never spoken to Mary again! Although, in retrospect, My Way would have been very appropriate if played by the Jazz Messengers or sung by, say, Tom Waits!
We left The Crem to one of those bop riffs that everyone knows but can never remember the title of!
Later, we reconvened at the Wardley Hotel in Bill Quay and the memories flowed. I recalled a dance band gig in a community centre in Washington. This was back in the days when dance bands wore dinner suits and bow ties. As there was no beer at the gig, come interval time we dashed down to the nearest pub. It looked to be a rough sort of place so we discarded our bow ties, rumpled our shirts and maybe even added a bit dirt to our faces. Imagine our surprise when we opened the door and everyone was dressed up to the nines!
Another time, after a gig in South Shields we went to catch a late drink at the Kismet Club. Not being members, we expected to have to do some fast talking but, the doorman took in our tuxedo (ish) outfits and said, 'You're late, due on in 5 minutes!' he thought we were the cabaret! Once again the bow ties were discarded and we blended into the crowd whilst the compere was saying,'They're here, the doorman told me they'd arrived'!
The duo eventually did turn up and we breathed a sigh of relief. If we'd had to go on stage they'd have realised we weren't a comedy duo but, then again...
So many memories of a dear friend. Rest In Peace and don't go telling Gabriel he ain't a patch on Dizzy Gillespie. Or, then again, Bill may be asking Gabe's opposite number to turn the heating up or down.
Lance.
In the photos - taken circa 40 years apart - Tom Smith is the pianist. 

4 comments :

Andrea Picton (on F/b) said...

Sorry about the loss of your friend Lance. What a lovely tribute and beautiful writing. Go for the novel! x

Liz said...

I thought of you today, God Rest Bill. LL

Steve Hanford said...

Hello Lance, I am Steve Hanford, Bill's ex son-in law and attended the ceremony on the 8th. With Mary's blessing I am embarking on a mission to collate as many of Bill's cartoons that I can find into a booklet for us all to share and enjoy. I have already contacted the Mirror/Chronicle/Gazette but perhaps through yourself and your many contacts there might be cartoons out there which I would dearly welcome a copy of. Would you be kind enough to perhaps contact me to discuss matters further via email

Lance said...

Can anyone help Steve to locate any more of Bill Shaw's cartoons?

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