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Bebop Spoken There

Wendell Brunious: "Because the blues is not 1,4 and 5 or 1,4,5,2,1. You could wake up with a flat tyre or a headache this morning, that's the blues, man" - (DownBeat, Oct. 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

15878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 885 of them this year alone and, so far, 83 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums). CANCELLED!

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: TBC @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 07: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 10:15am. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 07: Bugge & Niccols + Moore & Fairhall @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - All the Things You Are. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rie Nakajima @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Sat 07: Samuel Blaser Trio + Toxvaerd & Zeeberg + Muramatsu & Welch @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Zoë Gilby Quintet + Ubunye @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Line-up inc. Tony Kofi. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 08: Tommy Bentz Band @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. USA blues band.

Monday, December 19, 2016

George MacDonald & James Birkett with the Roly Veitch Trio @ The Black Bull December 18.

George MacDonald (clarinet), James Birkett (guitar), Roly Veitch (guitar & vocals), Paul Grainger (double bass) & David Francis (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Bradley Johnston & Roly).
The Black Bull staff prepared the room for Blaydon Jazz Club’s annual Christmas party. A long table set aside would soon be groaning under the weight of a food mountain. The tradition is to bring an offering, be it savoury or sweet. Donated items boosted the raffle resulting in no fewer than nine prizes being up for grabs. At precisely eight the orchestra began the evening’s entertainment playing to a full house.

Autumn Leaves opened the set. Messrs MacDonald, Veitch, Birkett, Grainger and Francis introduced themselves, musically speaking, one by one. Mr George MacDonald (clarinet) enjoys the respect of all – musicians and listeners alike – as a first class musician and as a most amiable character. A working life, principally as a member of the Northern Sinfonia based on Tyneside, established Canadian ex-pat Mr MacDonald’s reputation among peers in the classical field and beyond. Happily revisiting his jazz-playing youth, MacDonald’s hero – Benny Goodman – was, and is, with him in spirit whilst on stage. A Black Bull gig in the company of friend James Birkett couldn’t be other than a stroll through some of the great songs of the twentieth century. Ain’t Misbehavin’ called upon guitarists Birkett and Veitch to do their thing – contrasting, complementary styles, supported by a sympathetic, easy-going bass and drums partnership comprising Paul Grainger and David Francis.

The star of the show, George MacDonald, sat centre stage, in his element listening to, and playing clarinet on a selection of classic numbers; Wave, a swift Flying Home, prompting MacDonald to say: That was really cookin’, as the Americans would say!  Then Someone to Watch over Me a brief calming interlude before MacDonald called a ridiculously super fast tempo on Lady Be Good. The younger men of the ensemble did their best to keep up!

The interval – the full house scaled the food mountain, the numerous raffle prizes found a home and before long Mr MacDonald suggested It Don’t Mean a Thing…Yes, the quintet returned to the stage, and off they went, most definitely with that swing. More Jobim took it down a notch, a time for Meditation. Our clarinet star featured on Over the Rainbow (a request) and A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, the audience stilled. A tasteful solo with brushes in hand from David Francis on Don’t Get Around Much Anymore caught the approving ear of Mr MacDonald. Blaydon Jazz Club’s Christmas gathering couldn’t have gone any better. Highlights were many, a particular highlight being a lightning fast take on After You’ve Gone. MacDonald set the pace, Veitch, Birkett, Grainger and Francis did their level best to hang on to the coat-tails of the Canadian clarinet virtuoso as he almost disappeared over the horizon. Come on boys, keep up!
Blaydon Jazz Club will reconvene in March next year, details to be advised, please check Bebop Spoken Here nearer the time.
Photos.             

Russell.          

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