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Bebop Spoken There

Wendell Brunious: "Because the blues is not 1,4 and 5 or 1,4,5,2,1. You could wake up with a flat tyre or a headache this morning, that's the blues, man" - (DownBeat, Oct. 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!"

Postage

15878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 885 of them this year alone and, so far, 83 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums). CANCELLED!

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: TBC @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 07: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 10:15am. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 07: Bugge & Niccols + Moore & Fairhall @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - All the Things You Are. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rie Nakajima @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Sat 07: Samuel Blaser Trio + Toxvaerd & Zeeberg + Muramatsu & Welch @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

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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