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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17602 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 876 of them this year alone and, so far, 21 this month (Dec. 11).

From This Moment On ...

December

Fri 13: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Bellavana @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Customs House Big Band @ Stocksfield Community Association. 7:00pm. Featuring Ruth Lambert.
Fri 13: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 13: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £19.00. + bf. First night of two.
Fri 13: Fiona's Jazz Express @ Flash House Brewing Co., Northumberland St., North Shields NE30 1DS. 8:00pm. Free. Featuring: Fiona Finden (tenor sax); Stu Finden (flugelhorn); Lara Hopper (trumpet); Keith Barrett (guitar); Andrew Porritt (double bass); Neil Hopper (drums).
Fri 13: Ransom Van @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 13: Boys of Brass @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 9:00pm. £10.00.

Sat 14: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:15pm. Free but ticketed.
Sat 14: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm.
Sat 14: Red Kites Jazz @ Staiths Café, Autumn Dr., Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14 Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £19.00. + bf. Second night of two.
Sat 14: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 15: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 12 noon. £8.50. Xmas party feat. Musicians Unlimited + Customs House Big Band. SOLD OUT!
Sun 15: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 2:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Mitch Laddie Band @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb blues power trio.
Sun 15: Leeway @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Sun 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 12 noon. £9.95. ‘Festive Turkey Dinner’. Book now: 0191 266 8137.
Mon 16: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Tue 17: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Tue 17: BBC Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘A Swinging Xmas’.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 17: Bellavana @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 7:45-9:35pm. Free.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon. £27.00. (inc. three -course meal).
Thu 19: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Christmas comes, but once a year: seasonal tracks & annual quiz’.
Thu 19: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Josh Bentham (sax); Dan Johnson (sax); Graham Thompson (keys); Adrian Beadnell (bass).

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

Sunday, March 19, 2017

The Family Band @ Jazz Café - March 17

Riley Stone-Lonergan (tenor sax); Kim Macari (trumpet); Tom Rivière (bass); Steve Hanley (drums).
(Review/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew). 
First off, a composition by Macari, about a scorpion. Starting with a brief intro by herself, then an extended sax solo from Stone-Lonergan. 
A very lively opener. Then to a composition by Rivière, introduced by solo bass (bowed) with wind-sounding 'noises off' from the sax. 
A long section sees sax with trumpet - Stone-Lonergan solos melodically while trumpeter Macari utilises the distinct sound of her instrument to move between the tenor with counter phrasing and other less harmonic effects too.  Quite a slow and soulful tune - until they all let it rip for a short while, then ending quietly. Quite dramatic!  Then the pace picked up with all four, straight in with a well-paced number, the sax featuring here.  Blistering! And so refreshing!!   Closing the first set, a standard - I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You - lovely interplay, bluesy-soulful sax, with trumpet complementing in wonderful harmony, a superbly slow groove.  This piece would be perfect for a Sunny Sunday Jazz Festival, but for now a delightful end to the first set.
The interval arrived much too early – but time to briefly reflect. So far I'm thinking 'what a refreshing sound - lively and full of feeling with a good range of dynamics, pace and more importantly, feeling’. This bodes well for the second set. 
The Raffle dispensed with, Set 2, kicks off with a composition by Riley - fast & furious, full of energy along with smiles of enjoyment and appreciation across the band as they dig in and enjoy the moment together.  Then another of Rivière's compositions, for Steve Lacy, with an extended introduction from the trumpet followed by a lively bass riff playing underneath throughout, giving it a great driving force.

This was followed by a brief piece, also by Rivière, based on the thought of peace movements (and peace museums) around the world.  This piece being around the thoughts of lead balloons (atomic bombs) but seen through the eyes of survivors as they witness evening sunsets after the event.  A very sombre but thoughtful piece, with just trumpet and percussion. Then follows Manic Impression written by Macari during a recent visit to A&E tending to a broken ankle, which explains her rested foot during the performance. A fine piece, truly Manic, and well played by the band. Despite the context of the composition, it was so lively it could easily put a spring in your step!

Finally, their farewell piece A Poem for You with an extended improvised bass introduction augmented by sympathetic brass and moody percussion. The distinctly mournful horn melody is played over a rumbling bass. Then, slowly, the ensemble break in to a very energetic round of free improvisation.  A rousing piece, with more than just a hint of many of the greats in jazz who'd brought us this far, but the Family Band rolled it all up and took it further. 

In all, a performance of modern and exciting jazz, with more than just a hint of jazz from the 50's, but giving a strong sense of being totally up to date with a combination of scored tunes/themes and wonderfully improvised parts across a superb quartet.  The real standout of the evening was the band itself, the soloists were equal masters. Hanley on drums - excellent as ever following every twist and turn.  Macari on trumpet, despite being chair-bound (i.e. sitting throughout, so as to rest her broken ankle) she gave a superb performance both with solo spots and alongside the others. Stone-Lonergan, simply put, displayed some blistering sax work. Rivière also demonstrating fine solo parts as well as firm support for all pieces throughout.  Very powerful playing from each band member, but the sum of the parts being even greater. 
Overall, one of the best modern jazz groups performing at the moment. They played Manchester Jazz Festival last year, so we could surely expect to see them at Gateshead (GIJF) next year - either on the concourse or in Sage 2.  Why not?
Ken Drew

A co-promotion by Jazz North East and the Jazz Café.

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