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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, May 17, 2017

Cookin’ @ The Jazz Café - May 16

(Review by Russell)
The superlatives have been exhausted. A regional jam session can’t be this good. People would pay good money to hear Mark Williams, Paul Grainger and Rob Walker. The trio played three or four numbers before guitarist Williams and drummer Rob Walker stood down to allow an endless parade of first rate musicians to sit in. A piano player just turned seventeen, a drummer eighteen, joined by a twenty-ish trumpet-playing university science undergraduate, an early twenties guitar virtuoso…who needs Messrs Williams and Walker? Rumour has it they went for a curry.
A string thing to begin…Bradley Johnston, guitar, and, first time participant, folk fiddler of national renown, Andy Lawrenson playing Night and Day and A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square with Johnston’s considered intro to the latter number. West End resident (that’s West End, Newcastle, somewhat different to the London parish of the same name) Paul Ruddick joined the party, taking his customary window seat to blow some feverish alto on Nature Boy. Young bucks Joel Brown, piano, Matt MacKellar, drums, and guitarist Johnston were in on it. Terrific it was.

Matt vacated the drum chair for Matt to sit-in on a couple. That’s Berklee-bound M MacKellar out, M Fairhurst in. Spot the difference…in terms of ability, none. JP, that’s John Pope, allowed Paul Grainger to go to the men’s room, and the newly formed quintet gave a sensitive reading of John Lewis’ Skating in Central Park. Folk/jazz violinist Lawrenson returned to feature on an up-tempo After You’ve Gone with Fairhurst accenting here and there and, as the mood took him, taking an accomplished, extended solo.

Showtime! David ‘Showtime’ Gray was in the house. St Thomas, that’s the infectious St Thomas, DG is good value, every time. Waiting in the wings…Julija Jacenaite and Paul Gowland. Bradley returned to the stand, as did Matt MacKellar, to play Wave. Jacenaite’s scatting vocals, Gowland on soprano, Johnston’s killing solo…is anyone recording this stuff?

You’d be so nice to come home to sang Julija accompanied by a real find, Newcastle University student trumpeter Joe Davies, and a fizzing MacKellar on kit. It couldn’t get any better! Oh, yes it could! And it did! Vying for performance of the year, Jacenaite singing Angel Eyes with the brass boys Gray and Davies pitching in and Gowland’s soprano taking it to the summit. Almost time to get out of here…swing-time Joel Brown, cookin’ Matt MacKellar, Gowland in there, and the main man Mr Paul Grainger insisting there will never be another you.
There will never be another jam session like it…until next time!
Russell    
Mark Williams (guitar), Paul Grainger (double bass) & Rob Walker (drums) + Bradley Johnston (guitar), Andy Lawrenson (violin), Paul Ruddick (alto saxophone), Paul Gowland (soprano saxophone), Joe Davies (trumpet), David Gray (trombone), Joel Brown (piano), John Pope (double bass), Matthew MacKellar (drums), Matthew Fairhurst (drums) & Julija Jacenaite (vocals)

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

I'm getting unwarranted generosity. That solo was only 'extended' because I had no idea how many bars were in the form!

Anonymous said...

From Ann Alex, Ms Jacenaite was absolutely brilliant, the best singer I've heard this year. I'm not that fond of scat but hers fitted well into the songs, especially on 'Wave'. She 'acted' the songs well, with great aplomb and sometimes humour. I wouldn't be surprised if she's a trained actor as well.

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