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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.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

And the Beat Goes On @ Caedmon Hall, Gateshead – December 20

(Review and photos by Kat Rutter)
A fundraising concert in memory of local musician Mick Danby. This was one of two concerts in aid of the Brain Tumour Charity/Spirit of Mick Danby Fund with the second one taking place in Leeds in the New Year. As many people on the north-east jazz scene know, Mick was a talented and inspirational musician and singer who lost his brave fight against brain cancer in February 2014 aged just 52.
The line-up included: Emma Fisk and James Birkett, Appletwig Songbook, Storiella, The Lindsay Hannon Plus and the Tenth Avenue Band. The compere for the evening was Ian Ground, a friend of Mick Danby and member of the same choir, Heaton Voices.

The event kicked off with the jazz violin and guitar duo Emma Fisk and James Birkett. Their style of music is very reminiscent of the Hot Club of France and revived the 1920s sound of Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang who were major influences on Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. They played a few Venuti and Lang compositions including “Cheese and Crackers” and “Sunshine” which were both up-tempo numbers featuring that ‘hot’ violin style that characterises 1920's swing.
The duo also played other jazz standards such as “I Found A New Baby” and “Paper Moon”. Their set was mostly lively swing tunes but they also played a couple of slow numbers including a beautifully melancholic rendition of Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch over Me”. Fisk and Birkett are certainly very accomplished and skilful musicians.
Appletwig Songbook, a five-piece band, were next onto the stage. They are a roots band with an original sound which combines traditional songs with contemporary jazz, rock and world music influences. Led by Richard Scott, who is the musical director of Heaton Voices, Appletwig Songbook is one of the bands that Mick Danby used to play in. They played a range of instruments between them such as keyboard, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, violin and flute and most of their repertoire were original compositions. These included “The Bigg Market”, “Save Me” and a mining song called “Monday Morning”.
Two of their numbers were written by the late Keith Morris who was a powerful force on the local music scene: “Talk on the Telephone”, a song about separation and “This Song” with lyrics by David Bradford which is probably Keith’s most famous song. This was a very contemporary jazz number with a 5/4 rhythm and a bluesy middle section. It was a very authentic piece with great vocals from Richard Scott. The band finished with a rocky arrangement of a traditional miners’ song, “The Collier’s Rant” which certainly got the audience tapping their feet.

The first group after the interval was Storiella who are a vocal trio singing largely a cappella or with minimal accompaniment on ukulele, banjolele and shruti. The trio features Teresa Driscoll, Mick’s widow and the organiser of the concert. They specialise in three part harmonies and have lovely voices. Their first song, “For You” by singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke, featured harmony and counterpoint in a beautiful blend of the three voices. Next was a Canadian piece, “River and Sun”, which is a song about loss. Their rendition was very moving and particularly poignant considering the occasion. They also did a fantastic version of Jason Mraz’s 2008 Reggae number “I’m Yours” which showed what a versatile line-up Storiella are. They finished their set with “Jingle Bell Rock” which not only involved Ian the compere but audience participation too.

The penultimate performance of the evening was by The Lindsay Hannon Plus, a vocal led quartet who played original songs as well as traditional jazz and blues standards. They started with “The Spy”, a Doors number that is very bluesy. This allowed Lindsay to exhibit her powerful dynamic range to the full. Then came the Bossanova hit “No More Blues” followed by “Miss Otis Regrets” sang as a ballad with a solo on the double bass as an intro. It was a beautiful rendition of this traditional standard as a plaintive lament. This number allowed Lindsay to use the gentle and tender colours in her voice to good effect.
“Heather” came next, an original composition which was written with Lindsay’s collaborator Liz Cornay.  This number featured a fantastic guitar solo from Mark Williams. The Lindsay Hannon Plus finished with a blues number, “Romeo Bleeding” by Tom Waites and overall it was an intense and engaging performance. After the show, Lindsay said “We were very glad to be playing for Mick Danby’s charity concert as he was a much-loved friend and colleague - and an excellent bass player.”

Rounding the evening off in style was the Tenth Avenue Band, a 16-piece street band featuring a range of wind and brass instruments including saxes, a trumpet, trombones, and flutes along with bass and percussion. They played a mixture of jazz, latin, reggae and ska as well as songs from around the world including South Africa and Colombia. It was a fantastic set which lifted the spirits of the audience and got people onto their dancing feet. The highlights of their performance included the Kid Creole and the Coconuts’ song “Annie I’m Not Your Daddy” and the Specials’ 1981 hit “Ghost Town”. This last number was particularly effective as the band came out into the audience playing their instruments whilst encouraging everyone to join in with the lyrics.
And the Beat Goes On was a great night and really captured the spirit of what Mick’s legacy is all about.
Please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/btcspiritofmickdanby if you would like to make a donation to this wonderful cause.
Kat Rutter
Photos.

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