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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.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Krokofant + Horse Orchestra + Archipelago @ The Black Swan October 25

Krokofant: Jørgen Mathisen (sax); Tom Hasslan (guitar); Axel Skalstad (drums)
(Review by Steve H/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew)
Match and Fuse is an organisation which aims to bring bands from all over Europe to play in different countries. As an added bonus they also try and present local bands on the same bill.
This tie-in with Jazz North East and Schmazz ticked all the boxes.
Headlining were Krokofant who hail from Norway. I would describe the music as ‘Heavy Rock Jazz’.  Guitarist Hasslan could fit easily into a number of classic 70’s rock outfits such as Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple. Meanwhile, Sax player Mathisen seems to come from a far more European free jazz tradition. The 2 styles are fused together by the powerhouse drumming of Skalstad. A highly intriguing energetic set left one quite bewildered as to what they were actually witnessing but who cares? it was very enjoyable whatever the style.
Horse Orchestra: Ingimar Andersen (saxophones); Erik Kimestad Pedersen (trumpet); Petter Hängsel (trombone); Kristian Tangvik (tuba); Jeppe Zeeberg (keyboards); Nicolai Kaas Claesson (bass); Rune Lohse (drums)
Horse Orchestra are a Copenhagen based band although they are a Scandinavian alliance with members from Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark. They reminded me a bit of a mini Loose Tubes.  The emphasis of the band seemed to be one of having a good time with their postmodern take on 1920’s Jazz mixed up with circus style and various other musical genres. Keyboard player Zeeberg announced the numbers with classic Scandinavian deadpan humour and the rest of the band also contributed to the general jocularity. During one number the entire brass section came to the front of the stage and maybe inspired by Edvard Munch appeared to scream rather than chant although very effective it was too.
Archipelago: Faye MacCalman (reeds); John Pope (bass); Christian Alderson (drums)
The evening began with local favourites Archipelago who seem to develop each time I see them. Tighter and rockier, although possibly lacking the rawness and wildness of previous performances, the band got proceedings off to a rollicking good start. The set included a new piece featuring MacCalman on clarinet and I look forward with eager anticipation to their continued progress.

 The final part of the evening saw the ‘Fuse’ element of promotion take over. Match and Fuse founder Dave Morecroft brought together Krokofant with the horn section from Horse Orchestra and proceeded to conduct the musicians using a ‘sound painting’ technique. What unfolded was the highlight of an already marvellous evening as Morecroft and the band conjured up a  fascinating and stimulating piece of colourful music full of bewildering rhythms and textures.
Steve H.

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