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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.

Sunday, July 02, 2017

Matthew’s Farewell Jazz Party @ The Jazz Café

(Preview by Russell)
Matthew MacKellar first came to the attention of the jazz world sitting-in at Dave Weisser’s Take it to the Bridge weekly jazz workshop. Matthew, at the time perhaps all of fourteen, said little, a mere nod of the head to indicate he was comfortable with the next tune drawn from Weisser’s extensive pad. Wednesday evenings in the upstairs function room of the Chillingham pub house became the essential night out. Drummers Eric Stutt and Paul Wight were fulsome in their praise of Matthew.
In establishing a Saturday morning workshop band at Newcastle’s Lit and Phil, pianist, bandleader and educator Paul Edis offered Matthew the drum chair. The Early Bird Band (a Saturday morning workshop starting at the early hour of 9:30ish gave the band its name!) worked on established jazz tunes, and before long a paying public began turning up at eleven o’clock eager to hear a half-hour set by the young musicians. One Tuesday evening Matthew turned up at the Jazz Café’s top flight jam session looking to sit in. The session takes no prisoners and Matthew more than held his own. Regulars asked: Who’s he? Soon those same regulars would say: I hope Matthew turns up tonight! The house rhythm section was impressed and on more than one occasion Matthew has played the session as a member of the house band.
 In recent times Matthew has sat in with tenor saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos, played several sets at the Jazz Co-op’s International Jazz Day celebrations and worked with Sue Ferris at the Durham Jazz Festival. Now Matthew has good reason to celebrate. He has received an offer to study at the world-famous Berklee College of Music. In a few weeks, he will head off to Boston, Massachusetts, USA for what is sure to be a once in a lifetime experience. Matthew invites you to join him and his jazz friends for an evening of non-stop music at the Jazz Café on Thursday 13 July. Upstairs and downstairs, there will be jazz, jazz, jazz! A cast of thousands will be in attendance, this is an event you cannot afford to miss. Admission on the night is £6.00. Proceeds to the Early Birds’ youth jazz development project.

Matthew’s development as a musician is, in part, due to expert tuition. His drum tutors Dave Lourie and Geoff Hutchinson should take a bow, so too guitar tutor John Wilson. These are the behind the scenes characters who don’t seek the spotlight but are deserving of recognition.

The timetable of events on the evening, with, perhaps a little tweaking here and there, is as follows:

19:00 Doors
19:10 – 19:30 Ben Lawrence Trio (downstairs)
19:35 – 20:00 Early Bird Band (upstairs)
20:05 – 20:30 John Wilson Trio (Wilson, Deon Krishnan, Matthew MacKellar, downstairs)
20:35 – 21:00 Francis Tulip Quartet (upstairs)
21:05 Announcements & raffle draw
21:20 – 21:45 Paul Edis Trio (Edis, Deon Krishnan, John Pope TBC, Russ Morgan TBC, downstairs)
21:50 – 22:15 Dave Weisser Combo (upstairs)
22:20 – close Jam session (downstairs)

So, put the date in the diary – Thursday 13 July. Seven o’clock start. Unmissable.

2 comments :

Sylvia Truscott (on F/b) said...

I remember Ray coming home from the Chilli and telling me about this amazing young drummer who sat in...I think you were younger than 14!!....so sorry I can't be at your party......bad timing....story of my life!!...have a ball...xxxxx

George MacKellar said...

Many thanks for your good wishes Sylvia. Ray was one of the individuals who gave Matthew great encouragement over the years; Matthew and I were both very fond of him. Best wishes George xx

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