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Bebop Spoken There

Raymond Chandler: “ I was walking the floor and listening to Khatchaturian working in a tractor factory. He called it a violin concerto. I called it a loose fan belt and the hell with it ". The Long Goodbye, Penguin 1959.

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

16350 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 230 of them this year alone and, so far, 27 this month (April 11).

From This Moment On ...

April

Sat 20: Record Store Day…at a store near you!
Sat 20: Bright Street Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. Swing dance taster session (6:30pm) followed by Bright Street Big Band (7:30pm). £12.00.
Sat 20: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Acoustic blues.
Sat 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ St Andrew’s Church, Monkseaton. 7:30pm. £10.00. (inc. a drink on arrival).

Sun 21: Jamie Toms Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Holy Grale, Durham. 5:00pm.
Sun 21: The Jazz Defenders @ Cluny 2. Doors 6:00pm. £15.00.
Sun 21: Edgar Rubenis @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues & ragtime guitar.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Art Themen with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. +bf. JNE. SOLD OUT!

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Vieux Carre Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30-3:30pm. £12.00. ‘St George’s Day Afternoon Tea’. Gig with ‘Lashings of Victoria Sponge Cake, along with sandwiches & scones’.
Tue 23: Jalen Ngonda @ Newcastle University Students’ Union. POSTPONED!

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Sinatra: Raw @ Darlington Hippodrome. 7:30pm. Richard Shelton.
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 24: Death Trap @ Theatre Royal, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Rambert Dance Co. Two pieces inc. Goat (inspired by the music of Nina Simone) with on-stage musicians.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jim Jams @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Jim Jams’ funk collective.
Thu 25: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 25: Death Trap @ Theatre Royal, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Rambert Dance Co. Two pieces inc. Goat (inspired by the music of Nina Simone) with on-stage musicians.
Thu 25: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Thu 25: Kate O’Neill, Alan Law & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 25: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Garry Hadfield (keys).

Fri 26: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Paul Skerritt with the Danny Miller Big Band @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Fri 26: Abbie Finn’s Finntet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Colin Aitchison & Friends @ Blaydon Jazz Club - July 15

Colin Aitchison (trumpet & vocals); Franco Valussi (clarinet & vocals); Steve Andrews (clarinet, tenor saxophone & baritone saxophone); Roly Veitch (guitar) & Alan Rudd (double bass) + Olive Rudd (vocals) & Neville Sarony (vocals)
(Review by Russell)
A Zez Confrey tune to open proceedings; Stumbling written in 1922 (with thanks to Steve Andrews’ encyclopedic knowledge of the composers and musicians of the era!). This Blaydon Jazz Club gig, at the Black Bull as usual, was something of a departure in being a first ever lunchtime promotion. The unavailability of the room on the preferred Sunday evening necessitated the change, and fears of a low turn out were soon allayed as regulars rolled up bolstered by a large contingent from Hong Kong.

Blaydon Jazz Club supremo Roly Veitch extended an invitation to some friends to come along and play some tunes. Now an annual occasion, Hong Kong-based Colin Aitchison and Franco Valussi duly accepted, making a visit to Blaydon a top priority during their visit. Closer to home, a short hop over the Pennines reunited Cumbria-based Steve Andrews with Veitch, and closer still, Alan Rudd, based here on Tyneside, no doubt had time for a leisurely late breakfast. From Confrey to the Duke – Just Squeeze Me. Just perfect; small group swing, a purring rhythm section, impressive front line solos. A first vocal for trumpeter Aitchison; The Lady is a Tramp with his typical good time delivery, the smiles across the audience evidence of a good time being had by all.  A Franco Valussi feature – Memories of You – confirmed the class of the Italian clarinet maestro.

’S Wonderful was, it always is. Time for our first guest of the afternoon. Olive Rudd stepped up to sing Some of These Days, excellent stuff, we’d hear more from the Maine Street Jazzmen’s singer later. Fun time…Jeepers Creepers heard Colin and Franco sharing a mic…’where’d ya get those peepers?’ as Steve Andrews switched to clarinet to show he’s a match for Signor Valussi. Neville Sarony, of the Hong Kong touring party, joined the boys on the stand to ask: Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans? Mr Sarony is a character; somewhere between a Valentino matinee idol and eloquent/elegant crooner. A ‘good value’ performer, Blaydon looks forward to the next time he’s in town. The first set closer, Oh, Lady Be Good, exemplified the afternoon’s choice material.

A choice of real ales, a decent pint of Guinness for some, a raffle generously supported by all, the interval flew by. With two master clarinetists in the house it was a fair bet that they’d have a bit of fun on a classic number and so it was Andrews and Valussi played Creole Love Call supported by . the ace string rhythm section of Messrs Veitch and Rudd. The other Rudd, vocalist Olive, made a return to the stage to give an energetic rendition of When You’re Smiling featuring Mr Rudd’s first rate bass playing. From Olive to Neville, with Andrews toting his baritone sax, Mr Sarony swore he could hear Buddy Bolden’s Blues drifting up the Tyne…yep, definitely! A sing-along Down by the River(Tyne)side engaged the audience, and a brief, unexpected interlude heard Steve Andrews in full flow reciting a poem in, as he said, a Sunderland-Gaelic accent including the line: Whoosh! Yer bugger. Aye, a class poetry reading here at the Black Bull’s literary salon! 
And so to the principal guest of the afternoon’s concert. Colin Aitchison, ever the jovial front man, on this gig he played, almost exclusively, muted trumpet. The exuberance, the joie de vivre, fine and dandy, but don’t be fooled, Aitchison is a class trumpet player. Squeezing notes, half notes, a plunger mute, the ex-pat Tynesider plays the kind of trumpet all too rarely heard these days. The vocals are always spot-on – less Louis on this session, more Aitchison – no more so than on It Don’t Mean a Thing with a two-clarinet support for good measure. A marvellous afternoon of jazz concluded with classic small combo swing – Swingin’ the Blues. Our Man in Hong Kong will return next year and when he does make sure you’re in town, you’re guaranteed to have a good time.
Photos.             
Russell.

2 comments :

Lance said...

Patti D mentioned to me, and I quote, "Oh yes, Roly sang Dear Bix at the Black Bull lunchtime session with Colin and Franco. I kind of requested it - just Roly, with guitar and bass. What a gorgeous number it is."
What a gorgeous number indeed. So sorry that I missed that.

LIz said...

love that number!

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