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Bebop Spoken There

Piers Paul Read: "Bruce Reynolds and Biggs shared an interest in Sex, Jazz and Hemingway." - (The Train Robbers by Piers Paul Read, Coronet Books 1979.)

George Shearing: "Speaking about Johann Sebastian Bach I think he'd be a real jazzer if he were alive today. I mean any man who has two wives, twenty kids, gets kicked out of the church for being too harmonically radical and drinks beer can't be all wrong can he?" - (Crescendo March 1984.)

Submissions for review

Whilst we appreciate the many emails, texts, messages and other communications we receive requesting album/gig reviews on BSH, regrettably, we are unable to reply to all of them other than those we are able to answer with a positive response.
Similarly, CDs received by post will only be considered if accompanied by sufficient background material.
Finally, bear in mind that this is a jazz-based site when submitting your album.
Lance

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If you experience any problems posting a comment, as I understand some readers are, then email it to me direct, stating which post your comment relates to - lanceliddle@gmail.com. Alternatively, try the Anonymous button but please sign your name!
Apologies for any inconvenience, this is due to circumstances beyond my control.

Today Thursday July 19

Afternoon

Vieux Carré Jazzmen - Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone NE27 0DA. Tel: 266 6173. 1:00pm. Free.

Evening

Maine St. Jazzmen - Sunniside Social Club, Holywell Lane, Sunniside, Gateshead NE16 5NJ. 8:30pm. Free.

Alexys de Alfaro: Guitar Dreams with Coco Vega - Prohibition Bar, Arch 3, Brandling Street, Gateshead NE8 2BA. Doors 7:00pm. A ‘jar on the bar’ gig. Guitar & percussion.

Alter Ego - St James’ & St Basil’s Church, Fenham Hall Drive, Newcastle NE4 9EJ. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Jesse Bannister Quartet - Jazz Café, Pink Lane, Newcastle NE1 5DW. Tel: 0191 222 9882. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. concs.). JNE.

Northern Monkey Brass Band - Jubilee Park, Spennymoor DL16. 6:00-9:00pm. Free. Big BRASS Bash (Durham Brass Festival).

New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band - Oxbridge, Oxbridge Lane, Stockton on Tees TS18 4AW. 8:30pm.

Tees Hot Club w. Donna Hewitt (alto); Josh Bentham (tenor); Dave Archbaid (keys) - Dormans Club, Oxford Road, Middlesbrough TS5 5DT. Tel: 01642 823813. 9pm. Free.

Jazz Jam - Fire Station, High Street West, Sunderland SR1 3DT. Tel: 0191 594 7241. 8pm. Free.

Billy's Buskers: Plug in and Play - Billy Bootleggers, Nelson St, Newcastle NE1 5AN. 7:00pm. Free.

To the best of our knowledge, details of the above events are correct but may be subject to alteration.

Monday, January 02, 2017

A Look at 2016

(Lance/photo of  NYE Park Avenue NYC courtesy of Daryl Sherman)
The Gateshead International Jazz Festival, as always, stands supreme. This year, Simon Spillett's Tubby Hayes presentation was everything we could expect from two giants - past and present.
Alex Webb's  Café Society Swing was another that kept us well on the inside. Vimala Rowe an exciting new voice on the scene.
I didn't make the Ushaw College gigs, the Classic Jazz Party at Whitley Bay, or the Sunderland Big Band Festival but those of my agents on the ground who did make it, gave them the thumbs up - in fact - they only wished they'd had more thumbs!
As always, the Jazz Coop promoted jazz and jazz - related music at both a local, national, and international level. They also coordinate with the Empty Shop in Durham which is packing them in on a monthly basis.
Jazz North East did likewise - and I had to miss the icing, Greg Abate!
The Jazz Café had many great gigs both upstairs and downstairs but, the fortnightly, downstairs, jam is now in every aspiring jazzer's diary along with those who've long past the aspiring stage.
Hoochie Coochie is perhaps the unsung hero. Warren books mainly soul/funk bands but, if he thinks they stand a chance, he'll have a jazz act in there.
The Cherry Tree in Jesmond has been a supporter of jazz since Peter Wardle took over a few years back. Gigs for the guys but not always the support such a venture deserves - despite the food being of equal quality to the music!
Roly Veitch keeps Blaydon Jazz Club above water at the Black Bull with a monthly varied program.
The big bands may be dead but they refuse to lie down. Musicians Unlimited, Strictly Smokin' Big Band, Customs House Big Band, Durham University Big Band, New Century Ragtime Orchestra and a few others still carry the flame. Jason Isaacs fronts a great big band and Paul Skerritt fronts a great small band - as do Alice Grace, Ruth Lambert, Lindsay Hannon, Zoe Gilby, Debra Milne and a few others.
One of the most significant figures of 2016 was Paul Edis. Organiser, composer, arranger, performer, educator and promoter of well-supported gigs at St. Cuthbert's Centre, Crook; Gala Theatre, Durham; Newcastle's Lit & Phil and the aforementioned Ushaw College to name but a few - and a fine fellow too!
The trad bands still survive and, often with younger members replacing those that stopped ramblin'.
So, by and large, the north-east is relatively healthy, Down the road a piece, Plenty going on on Teeside and, over in Cumbria, there's also things happening there too. So, I guess this hasn't been a bad year for jazz - at least we haven't had a Jexit!
Lance
PS: Daryl [Sherman] sent the pic to me as I was typing and I thought, Let's use it - I love her!
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Bebop Spoken Here -- Here, being the north-east of England -- centred in the blues heartland of Newcastle and reaching down to the Tees Delta and looking upwards to the Land of the Kilt.
Not a very original title, I know; not even an accurate one as my taste, whilst centred around the music of Bird and Diz, extends in many directions and I listen to everything from King Oliver to Chick Corea and beyond. Not forgetting the Great American Songbook the contents of which has provided the inspiration for much great jazz and quality popular singing for round about a century.
The idea of this blog is for you to share your thoughts and pass on your comments on discs, gigs, jazz - music in general. If you've been to a gig/concert or heard a CD that knocked you sideways please share your views with us. Tell us about your favourites, your memories, your dislikes.
Lance (Who wishes it to be known that he is not responsible for postings other than his own and that he's not always responsible for them.)
Contact: lanceliddle@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you.

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