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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, July 19, 2017

Jam session @ The Jazz Café - July 18

(Review by Russell)
A jam session debut for Stuart Collingwood. Been there, done that, has Stuart, so this jam session held no fears. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (true, he wasn’t), A Foggy Day (anything but), Come Rain or Come Shine, proper piano playing, likewise bass and drums courtesy of Paul Grainger and Russ Morgan.   The evening’s ‘guests’ as Collingwood called them – the sitters-in – were rather thin on the ground, at least initially.
One such sitter-in who clocked-on early was Newton Aycliffe-based drummer Abbie Finn. On hearing the news that Ms Finn was in the house, one of the house rhythm section said: Oh, good! Finn played a few numbers, stood down, to return later. First Russ Morgan then Abbie Finn, a frighteningly high standard had been set. A glance around the room…Where had all this lot come from? Suddenly a thinly populated Jazz Café was now heaving. Why settle for two fabulous drummers when you can have four? The Matts had arrived.
First up M MacKellar. And, long time no see pianist Vince Webb gave Collingwood the chance to get to the bar as the ever-changing stand welcomed John Pope. A few tunes later – including But Not for Me – M MacKellar vacated the drum chair for M Fairhurst. A young man of (very) few words, Matt F is soon to depart for university. A mainstay of Dave Weisser and co at the Globe, he’ll be a big loss. On this session he got on board The A Train and knocked out a classy solo on The Sidewinder which, by this time, featured the one and only David Gray. A trombone player who plays with commitment and verve, Gray is made for a jam session*.

At some point – the timeline somewhat vague with the profusion of talent on show – our four young guns took over…James Metcalf, trumpet, Ben Lawrence, piano, Michael Dunlop, double bass, and Matt Mackellar, drums. Metcalf didn’t shirk, opting to take on Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage. An impressive shot at a fiendishly difficult tune, Metcalf is getting there. Pianist Ben Lawrence, a sixth former, has all the makings, is he going to go to music school? Bassist Michael Dunlop is a year or two ahead of him, at the Guildhall, no less, and drummer Matt MacKellar’s immediate future (USA here he comes!) has been well documented. The median age of jam session participants seems to be getting lower and lower and it’s thanks to the likes of these lads.

JJ Johnson’s In Walked Horace shuffled the pack again. Collingwood returned, so too Abbie Finn, and, waiting in the wings (waiting at the bar, to be precise!), Ms Julija Jaicenaite. JJ wrung Cry Me a River dry, accompanied by Ms Faye MacCalman, tenor saxophone, and another Guildhall under graduate, the explosive trumpeter Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney. Julija (JJ) went for One Note Samba and Collingwood played lots of them. To close an over-running night (the best nights do) we set off on a dizzying Caravan.

* Another top trombone player (Mr BC) was in the house. If he brings his trombone on 1 August…                        
Note the date of the final jam session of the summer – Tuesday 1 August.      
Russell

Stuart Collingwood (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass) & Russ Morgan (drums) + more or less in order of appearance: Abbie Finn (drums), Matt MacKellar (drums), Vince Webb (piano), Matt Fairhurst (drums), John Pope (double bass), David Gray (trombone), Faye MacCalman (tenor saxophone), Ben Lawrence (piano), Michael Dunlop (double bass), James Metcalf (trumpet), Julija Jaicenaite (vocals) & Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet)   

1 comment :

Steve T said...

Sadly (for us) Ben's been torn between music and maths but, being something of a mathematical genius, looks like he's going to opt for the latter, and who can blame him when he can play Jazz on evenings and weekends, and (hopefully) earn a fortune mon to fri.

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