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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
The 10: Classic Swing @ Carlisle Rugby Club, Warwick Rd., Carlisle. 8:30pm. £9.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock). CANCELLED!
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 11: Mo Scott Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 12: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv.). Country blues guitar & vocals.
Sat 12: Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.28, £11.16, £9.04. A two-track recording launch gig.
Sat 12: Stuart Turner @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues etc. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 12: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 8:00pm. Free. New trio: Paula Whitty, Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy.

Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Emma Wilson @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 13: Catfish Keith @ The Cluny. 7:00pm. Country blues.
Sun 13: Cath Stephens & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Stephens & Grainger, one third of a triple bill.
Sun 13: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by Nina Simone, performed by Nicholle Cherrie.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass), Bailey Rudd (drums).

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Saturday, February 04, 2017

New Century Ragtime Orchestra with Keith Nichols & Nick Ward @ The Caedmon Hall, Gateshead. February 3

(Review by Russell)
Welcome to the New Century Ragtime Orchestra’s twentieth annual concert in Gateshead… what an achievement! Several members of the orchestra were there at the beginning. As much as band mastermind Dave Kerr tries, he just can’t get shot of them! Seriously, the longevity of an orchestra dedicated to uncovering lesser known charts of the period (c.1890-1935) and presenting the music to an audience on a regular basis is no mean feat.
Befitting of the occasion, Keith Nichols, a long-standing friend of the orchestra, appeared as guest star, together with Brummie period percussion specialist Nick Ward. A full house at Caedmon Hall enjoyed two sets of ragtime, swing and popular song. Sweet Jennie Lee for starters, then Ellington (MC Steve Andrews joked that they might as well get Ellington out of the way!), Cole Porter’s Let’s Do It (a first vocal feature of the evening for Caroline Irwin) and I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (Baby).

Keith Nichols’ first contribution, accompanied by Nick Ward (the orchestra made a dash for the bar, not that they didn’t appreciate Nichols’ talents, they simply wanted another drink!) included Maceo Pinkard’s Sugar and a brilliant rendition of James P Johnson’s The Mule Walk.

Caroline Irwin returned to the stage with the reassembled orchestra to sing Irving Berlin’s You’d be Surprised. Steve Andrews has a penchant for gently poking fun at one or two members of the band and on this occasion he had Ms Irwin in his sights. The diminutive Irwin gave as good as she got – if you dish it out…To close an enjoyable first set Andrews himself sang Nagasaki (tongue-twisting lyrics to boot) and played with his new toy – a baritone saxophone! Someone enquired how much it was worth, Andrews replied: I’d accept two grand for it!

Numerous raffle prizes found a home, someone found the band in the bar, and soon we were into the second set. Deep Henderson, then Chattanooga Stomp (Keith Stephen, on banjo, Gavin Lee, clarinet). Irwin wanted to Get Out and Get Under the Moon following up with a new chart in the pad It Was Only a Sun Shower. Target number two: Andrews waxed lyrical about Louis Armstrong and his world famous recording of West End Blues. Looking at Graham Hardy, MC Andrews wished the bearded trumpeter all the best. Hardy stood up…Louis’ intro surely a terrifying prospect? It should be noted that G Hardy lives to tell the tale. Take a bow Graham!

Keith Nichols and Nick Ward resumed their partnership with a selection from the 1928 stage show Blackbirds of 1928 (the production made Adelaide Hall’s name). At times playing at a bewildering speed, Nichols found time, without breaking stride, to quip: You think this looks easy! A virtuoso.
Steve Andrews – baritone sax in hand – made it a trio in joining the evening’s guest stars to play Sophisticated Lady. A magical performance ensued, prefaced by typical jazz musician wit. Steve and Keith suggesting two alternative titles…Suffocated Lady in A Flat or Suffocated Lady in a flat. Spot the difference.
A marvellous evening with the New Century Ragtime Orchestra. Here’s to the next twenty years!
Russell.          

The New Century Ragtime Orchestra: Ed Cross (violin), Jim McBriarty (clarinet, alto sax, soprano sax & vocals), Alan Marshall (clarinet, alto sax & soprano sax), Gavin Lee (clarinet, tenor sax & soprano sax),Steve Andrews (MC, clarinet, baritone sax & vocals), Alex Lewis (trumpet), Graham Hardy (trumpet), Neville Hartley (trombone), Colin Haikney (piano), Keith Stephen (banjo & guitar), Phil Rutherford (sousaphone) & Caroline Irwin (vocals) + Keith Nichols (piano & vocals) & Nick Ward (drums)  

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