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Bebop Spoken There

Delfeayo Marsalis: "Slide Hampton once told me that it's not always the person that is playing the highest or playing the fastest that's making the greatest impact." - (DownBeat March 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

Tue 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 21: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass guitar); Bailey Rudd (drums).

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.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Nigel Price Trio + Early Bird Band @ Jazz Café - September 16










Nigel Price (gtr); Ross Stanley (Hammond); Steve Brown (dms).
(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Mike Tilley)
Smokin' is the expression frequently used to describe organ based trios and, as such, it was no surprise that on a previous northeast gig (Ushaw College Jazz Festival) the fire alarm went off. Tonight wasn't a four-alarm alert but the atmosphere was certainly incendiary as the three guys lit the blue touch paper.
Over the years I've heard Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Jim Hall, Charlie Byrd, Tal Farlow, John McLaughlin, Martin Taylor, Alvin Lee and many other names - include Nigel Price on that Roll of Honour.
He was phenomenal! Irrespective of mood or tempo Price was in there exploring, creating, interpreting, an absolute delight.
Opening up with Wes Montgomery's Jingles, the groove was in. Loverman as a bossa led to Who Can I Turn to? A question I asked myself, sitting as I was between two delightful ladies. However, it was hypothetical as one left before me and the other left after me! Back to the music. The Anthony Newley song had a beautiful unaccompanied guitar intro before going into a nice easy swing. Angel Eyes practically brought tears to my eyes such was the execution of this saddest of songs.
The set ended with This Could be the Start of Something Big and it certainly was! 
So far I've only mentioned Price but the contribution of Ross Stanley on Hammond and Leslie was awesome. His approach, more subtle and restrained in comparision to some of the wilder double manual merchants who dance on the pedals and deliver forearm smashes to the keyboard, gelled perfectly with the guitar. Matt Home couldn't make this gig so who replaced him? Only Steve Brown! Him of the permanent smile and the prodigious technique - a British jazz legend.
Roll on Set Two!
Back in the 1930's Coleman Hawkins set down the benchmark for Body and Soul. Now, almost 80 years later the bar has been raised!
A long intro by Price took us on a fantastic journey - totally solo and without a safety net. This was a master painter - Django Rembrandt - at work. It couldn't get any better than this - or could it?
Yes!
Stanley and Brown slipped onto their respective bench and throne. We'd had the body now we got the soul as the tempo lifted. They soloed, they swung, they exchanged fours. Composer Johnny Green didn't turn over in his grave - I bet he got up and danced! 
There was more. Indian Summer, Wes' Four on Six (played as six on four!) Prelude to a Kiss (arguably Duke's most sensual ballad) and a rocking blues to finish that featured Steve Brown. Phew! There may have been an encore but I had a bus to catch - or did I float home on a cloud?
The evening began with the Early Bird Band, Paul Edis' young proteges who continue to develop. Indeed the rhythm section are pretty close to pro standard and didn't seem overawed by the headliners who were to follow. Without maestro Edis waving his imaginary baton the horns were a little hesitant at times but grew in confidence as the set unfolded. It may still be a work in progress but that progress is apparent upon every gig.
 James Metcalf, Ben Lawrence (tpts);  Andrew Hodges (tmb); Nick Caughey (ten); Philip Grobe (pno); Francis D. Tulip (gtr); Dan Lawrence (bs gtr); Matthew MacKellar (dms).
Lance.

1 comment :

Steven T said...

Pleased to see Francis acquitted himself well on his final North East gig as a North East resident. He has had consistency lapses in the past; he's never poor but he isn't always on fire. Last night he maybe wasn't on fire, but he was on form.
Dan and Whiplash don't have consistency issues and Dans' enthusiasm will be a miss.
Dr Phil proved an excellent foil for Francis, giving him all the space he needed and I'm always surprised by his solos. Between Lord Paul and the Dr, the next guitarist couldn't be in better hands. I can't wait for their next gig.
In defence of the horns, while all of the rhythm section are hoping for careers in music, some horns are, some aren't and some are undecided. OK I over-egged the sums. I thought James, one of the youngest in the band, was great doing the intros. People always think nervous makes poor but nervous makes human.
And what a power-house turn the Nigel Price Trio are. Best live band in the land? No. 1 son speculated.

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