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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 2024.

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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

Southport Jazz Festival - Derek Nash Quartet. February 4

Derek Nash (saxophones, percussion), David Newton (piano), Geoff Gascoyne (bass), Clark Tracey (drums).
(Review by Steve T/courtesy Neil Hughes© Robert Burns)
A slight change from the band in the programme with Clark Tracey at the drum stool. The introduction described them all as world famous and they were seriously swinging from the off, Nash himself, the hat-trick of superb reeds men, kicking off on alto. In shirts, three jackets and a tie this was old-school and impeccably executed.
Something he co-wrote with his dad but I regret I missed the title, found him on un-straightened soprano and I confess I prefer the look of the straight variety. He also played a couple of percussion items, on this occasion bringing a bit of a cocktail feel.
All the Things You Are, as interpreted by Mulligan/ Desmond inevitably put him on baritone. It featured a great solo piano interlude and a fine bass solo, one of perhaps too many for my own personal preference.

 Li’l Darlin’ by Basie and he claimed they were breaking all the rules starting with a drums solo. If I had a reservation about the gig it would be that it stuck a little too steadfastly to the rules, although they did it brilliantly. Thirty-odd years ago, when I first started going to straight ahead Jazz gigs (as opposed to Jazz Funk), this would have totally blown me away, but nowadays my preference is more for stuff a bit further 'out there'.
Love at First Sound opened set two, from his award winning album Joy Riding, which he admitted to being very proud of, and justifiably so from what we heard tonight. This beautiful ballad had him back on baritone with some lovely piano touches and the excellent Dave Newton prevalent throughout the gig.
You Gotta Dig it to Digit, you Dig, a reference to Monk, and title of his latest album brought the first set to an end.
Keep it to Yourself, I think he said by bass player Gascoyne, marked a barnstorming return. A Latin piece with a Latin title I couldn't understand, and the absence of a singer necessitated some audience participation and we were more than happy to help out, some seriously impressive hand work from Tracey and the leader back on alto.
He'd described the show as a journey through his saxophone collection and, while I've always championed soprano and especially baritone, I'm aware that this may be in part, because we generally hear less. Even though I haven't made a note of tenor yet, even though he'd certainly played it, by this time I'd more or less decided it's my favourite, but now I found myself reconsidering alto. Maybe it's like choosing a favourite child.
Homecoming was a gorgeous slice of something, dare I say, close to smooth Jazz, Voodoo Rex from the tradition of New Orleans and ending with Bad Diddley or Bo Didley Clap(along), definitely sounding like something I might know with a different hat on.
Four more great musicians, another super show, Nash like a Michael McIntyre on Jazz. A tad straighter than my preference stopped it being a highlight of the festival, already shaping up to be a classic, but well within my spectrum, and indicative of the significant range of styles over only two days I was there and eight bands I saw.  
Steve T. 

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