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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.

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music 2017

What I Heard For Free
(By Ann Alex/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew).
I arrived at the Jazz Cafe on Saturday afternoon to catch the end of the performance by Lindsay Hannon and Bradley Johnston, (guitar), part of the Take Five, featuring 5 pairs of musicians. I couldn’t believe I was listening to Lindsay, as she was singing a tender love song in a sweetly changed voice, showing great versatility, as with the next song also. Yet another jazz singer showing further development of her art. Then a complete contrast – Graham Hardy and Neil Harland, began with an ambient piece on trumpet and bass guitar, slow, serene, cinematic, with a drone, entitled Improvisation In B Flat .I had the strange experience of not being able to see these 2 musicians as I was in an alcove, which concentrates the mind wonderfully.
Next came a contrast, a lively piece, then a boppy number. The next tune involved bubbly, sucking sounds from the bass (I think) with brief trumpet comments, but it may have involved electronics, I couldn’t see. Mish Mash had an improvised feel, with additions of some banging from the bar which happened to be in rhythm. The instruments blended, then became wild, with bass chords cutting across the trumpet. The whole performance was imaginative and enjoyable.

Up stepped Faye MacCalman (tenor sax, clarinet) and John Pope (bass), to play standards, but I didn’t catch many of the titles. They began with a smooth, easygoing tune with a long bass solo, then a slow strong tune with a Central European feel, a bowed bass and repeated riffs from the tenor. Monk’s Dream brought an amusing misunderstanding between the musicians, when Faye continued playing when she should have stopped for the bass. Then a tune with clarinet, before There’ll Never Be Another You, back to the sax. The music must have been too relaxing for me, or maybe it was the drink I’d had, as I felt sleepy and had to leave, so missing the last 2 pairs; Noel Dennis/Dean Stockdale and Raymond Macdonald/Graeme Wilson. My loss.

Sunday
Music students must sleep on Sunday afternoons, as there were none of them there for The Tuesday Jam On Sunday, unless they’d been before I arrived at 1.30pm. Plenty of other good musicians were present: the house band of Alan Law (piano); Paul Gowland (alto sax); Paul Grainger (bass); Russ Morgan (drums); plus Stu Finden (sax); Fiona Finden (sax, vocals); Dave Weisser (cornet) Jude Murphy (sax, flute) Keith Barrett (guitar). Fiona treated us to a lovely version of Secret Love, sung to a fast repeated 4-note riff from Stu’s sax; then came Never Leave and Keith joining in for No Moon At All. It was interesting to see Alan on what I’d call the naked piano, no front at all, listeners can see all the hammers in action, which I found a bit unnerving for reasons I don’t understand.
Over to the Bridge Hotel, to catch the last of The Improvisers Workshop, where they were discussing the nature of such an event which raised all the usual relevant points, such as how abstract is music compared with art, how many musicians should be involved, what is composition and improvisation, is it best to have a guiding format, what influence does politeness have on the music. Then a piece was played with mixed success, a bit messy, involving voices, saxes, drums, guitar, bass, keys, something metallic, bird sounds, shakers, clapping, Morse code bleeps, bells. There followed a frank discussion which assessed the piece well. The discussions were led by Dr Graeme Wilson and Professor Raymond MacDonald. A final piece was played, a much more successful work, many musical elements, fewer instruments playing at once. Someone from the audience joined in with a spoon striking a glass, before the saxes wound down and a calm guitar ended the piece. I’d advise everyone to try free improvisation as an interesting challenge to add to your musical experiences.
I enjoyed what I heard of this festival and I’d like to see it repeated next year. Thank you especially to Wes Stephenson, the Festival Producer.
Ann Alex.

1 comment :

Unknown said...

Well, things had warmed up nicely when Anne left. So, just to quickly fill the gap (from memory) - Noel Dennis/Dean Stockdale played many standards with a lovely sound as a duo and with fine individual solo spots along the way.
I often think it's a shame the pianist has to face away from the audience *and* the other players on stage. But this makes their sense of listening to 'the other player' more sensitive, and I think this was borne out when they played as a duo - perfect timing and wonderful interplay. And more than a touch of composing/arranging on-the-fly too.

Finally Raymond MacDonald/Graeme Wilson filled the last slot. Already the audience had diminished a little (it was close to 5pm anyway)but those who stayed *stayed the whole duration* to witness a fine display of improvisational musicianship. What made this slot even more interesting (for me anyway) were the brief interludes between the pieces when each performer said something about their background.
Their shared background in fact, as they had played and busked in Glasgow together many years ago (too many to mention here) - but this gave an interesting insight into their development and how they are able to think and play in such synchronism and read each others next steps, emphasising my previous comment when Dennis and Stockdale were playing together with superb interplay.

So, five distinctly different duos over five hours. Such high quality music for free, and providing a wonderfully warm atmosphere in the Jazz Cafe on a grey and sometimes wet Saturday afternoon. Ken D

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