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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

And the band played on… Jazz Café Jam Session – October 17

(Review by Russell)
The Jazz Café’s jam session is rapidly approaching legendary status. The Pink Lane venue across the road from Newcastle Central Station is the place to be at eight o’clock (earlier if you want to sit down as seats are at a premium) every first and third Tuesday in the month. The house band is an A-list affair and the many sitters-in invariably bring their A-game to the party.
This October 17 renewal attracted a dizzying list of participants. The house trio – James Harrison foregoing the Caff’s upright piano in favour of his own keyboard, Paul Grainger on double bass and drummer Russ Morgan – set off on the right track with Yardbird Suite. Harrison likes to keep things moving (ideal at a jam session) and Mambo Inn did just that featuring a Russ Morgan solo followed by Harrison’s accomplished intro to everyone’s favourite tune – Secret Love.

No time to waste, bring on Mr Nick Gould! The Edinburgh-based tenor saxophonist was making an all too infrequent visit to the Caff’s jam session. Full bodied, proper tenor playing , Out of Nowhere, You Don’t Know What Love Is with sensitive piano accompaniment, then, the tune with a million or so notes – One Note Samba – with Russ Morgan’s imperious hand-drumming. Let’s cancel the jam session, play it as a quartet gig. Sorry, it was just a thought! How could anyone entertain the idea? Stupid boy! Waiting in the wings, Mr Michael Lamb, trumpet, and Mr Alex Saxon, alto sax and flute. Fresh from Sunday’s triumphant Strictly Smokin’ Big Band concert with special guest Joe Stilgoe at Hoochie Coochie, Lamb opened with Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise. Joel Brown turned up, sat in, played Moondance…doesn’t the lad have any homework to do? Saxon’s flute was made for Van’s perennial. Strictly Smokin’ tenor saxophonist Jamie Toms turned up and sat in on Beautiful Love, a treat to hear him play such assured tenor. Lamb emerged from the bop school wood shed to play a tremendous solo, Russ Morgan grabbed another himself and the man at the back Mr Paul Grainger kept J Brown on the right track.

Excuse me! How much is admission? Admission? It’s free. You’re joking, this is amazing stuff! Get the beers in!

The magic roundabout stopped. JP, John Pope, jumped off, so too guitarist Matthew Downey. The pair sat in on Well, You Needn’t. They stayed on for a couple more including Dr Billy Taylor’s How I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free, Pope soloing and Downey adding a succinct solo of his own. All change! Where do they all come from? A new line up, including a Sage contingent, played Sunny with guitarist Jamie Mackay in a groove, Inês Gonçalves sang The Girl from Ipanema and a stupendous tenor solo from Tom Dixon on Bill Evans’ Interplay threatened to steal the show.

Who played what when became all the more difficult to document as the conveyor belt delivered a few more top notch names. Dan Garel – Hooray! Paul Gowland – Hooray! DG on alto, PG on alto, and Nick Gould, tenor, returned. Modal to bop they had a blast. Solos flashed across the room like tracer bullets, none flinched. The house lights went up. More! More! James Harrison set off again, Paul Grainger cookin’, Russ Morgan killing. Way past eleven, the (naughty) boys called it a day.
The Jazz Café’s jam session (every time, take your pick) is a serious contender for gig of the year.
Russell.

James Harrison (piano), Paul Grainger (double bass) & Russ Morgan (drums) + Nick Gould (tenor saxophone), Michael Lamb (trumpet), Alex Saxon (alto saxophone & flute), Joel Brown (piano), Jamie Toms (tenor saxophone), John Pope (double bass), Matthew Downey (guitar), Murray Wankling (piano), Jamie Mackay (guitar), ? (vocals), Inês Gonçalves (vocals), Tom Dixon (tenor saxophone), Dan Garel (alto saxophone) & Paul Gowland (alto saxophone)

3 comments :

Patti said...

And after the last jam sesh review, we thought it couldn't get any better - how silly we were! My, oh what a night!

Nick Gould said...

An excellent night last night, well worth the trip down although I could have done without the extra 40 mile diversion on the way back. Good to see the place busy familiar and new faces.

Patti said...

It was great to hear Nick's booting tenor, alongside the alto saxes ....... and the Jazz Cafe jazzy guys and gals will want him to brave the A1 traffic conditions again sometime soon.

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