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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

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

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club: Just Friends @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guest band night w. Richie Emmerson, Ian Bosworth, Dave Archbold, Ron Smith, Mark Hawkins. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoe Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Doris Day & the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Millstone. February 23

(Review by Russell/Photo of F'reez from archives).
Dire warnings from the Met Office. Storm Doris was to wreak havoc across the region. Trees would fall, chimney stacks topple and big band fans would stay at home. Isobars and sunny spells may well be the province of weather forecasters but, they don’t know much about the determination of fans of Tyneside’s roaring Strictly Smokin’ Big Band to make it to the Millstone to attend the band’s monthly public rehearsal night.
Days after the SSBB’s exhilarating Jazz Co-op gig with Bruce Adams a number of deps more than made up the numbers on this not-so-stormy Thursday night. Star vocalist Ms Alice Grace begged leave of absence to meet up with her Scarlet Street sisters at a secret location to work on their close harmonies prior to the much anticipated Hoochie Coochie concert with the SSBB on March 19. F’reez had the vocal numbers all to himself. One early highlight – Higher Ground – was, and is, F’reez at his best, the band simmering, a  soulful vocal. Flight of the Foo Birds then BBB, F’reez singing September in the Rain – varied material, all of it quality material. Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va closed the first set.
Two absolutely wonderful highlights, one during the first set, one to come in the second. The first, Tom Kubis’ Exactly Like This. Fabulous writing reworking Exactly Like You. A trip to the bar during the interval (beating the band to the bar isn’t guaranteed!), a glance at the TV (Tottenham 1 Ghent 1, Harry Kane will come to the rescue!), ‘hello’ to jazzmen Brian and Jimmy at the bar, they would soon be ascending the stairs to catch the SSBB’s second set.
Ascending the stairs to the sound of Dave McKeague spearheading the band on a Buddy Rich staple, the great man’s arrangement of Norwegian Wood acts as a rallying cry – the band was back in action! Steve Summers announced that MD Michael Lamb had given him permission to try out his new toy…an EWI. Pronk the vehicle, Summers resembled a kid in a sweet shop. Joyful playing, huge applause, and to think this is a rehearsal night!
The trumpet section incisive, McKeague’s drum and bass pattern supported by the seated Michael Whent. The Creeper, Spain (varied material!) then F’reez saying the goodbyes – Moondance (the ensemble’s snapping fingers) and Night and Day. Quite a night. Quite a stormin’ Doris (Day) night with the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band.   
Russell.                         
Michael Lamb (MD/tpt), Ben Chinnery, Gordon Marshall, Tom Hill (trumpets); Alan Marshall, Arthur Higgins (tenor), Steve Summers (alto/soprano/EWI), Keith Robinson (alto), Laurie Rangecroft (baritone); Kieran Parnaby, Mark Ferris, David Barnes, Sarah Bolt trombones; Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar), Graham Don (keyboards), Michael Whent (bass), Dave McKeague (drums) & F’reez (vocals)    

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

That's the best headline you've ever come up with Russell :)
Thanks for coming down. Keith R

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