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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Fishwick: “I can’t get behind the attitude that new is always somehow better than old” - Jazz Journal, April 15, 2019,

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...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 02: Paula Jackman's Jazz Masters @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 02: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 02: Tenement Jazz Band @ John Marley Centre, Newcastle. Swing Tyne Winter Social. £8.00. + bf. Advance purchase only, no admission at the door. BYOB. Lindy hop workshop from 11:00am. £39.00.
Sat 02: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Masham, Hartburn Village, Stockton. 7:00pm. Feat. Noel Dennis.
Sat 02: Classic Swing @ The Nuthatch, 9 - 11 Bedford St, Middlesbrough TS1 2LL. 7:00-9:00pm. Classic Swing in trio format.
Sat 02: Paul Skerritt w. Danny Miller Big Band @ Westovian Theatre, South Shields. 7:30pm.
Sat 02: Vermont Big Band @ Whitley Bay FC. 7:30pm. £10.00. (inc. hot buffet). Tickets available from WBFC’s Seahorse pub club house.
Sat 02: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Ponteland Social Club, Northumberland. 7:30pm. £18.00 (inc. stotties & soup supper). A fundraiser for Hexham Constituency Labour Party.
Sat 02: Durham Dynamics & Basement Jazz @ Kingsgate Bar & Café, Durham Students’ Union. 7:30pm. £5.00. (£4.50. concs.). ‘Fab & Festive’. A cappella & jazz. Abba, Mariah Carey & more.
Sat 02: Tom Remon & Laurence Harrison @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. Xmas party night inc. buffet & special raffle. £3.00.
Sat 02: Groovetrain @ The Unionist Club, Laygate, South Shields. 9:00pm.

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders.
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Preview: XPQ for Blaydon

(By Russell)
It’s early autumn, the nights are beginning to draw in, this means our annual tenor saxophone treat is almost upon us. Year in year out, mid-October, Darlington’s Opus 4 Jazz Club and Blaydon Jazz Club present two of the best jazz gigs anywhere in the country. A capacity audience is the norm, it pays to arrive early to secure a seat, then sit back and enjoy two sets of swinging, mainstream jazz the likes of which one can only dream about.


Yes, it’s the return of Vasilis Xenopoulos! Described by Blaydon Jazz Club’s promoter Roly Veitch as a ‘mercurial’ tenor player, Vasi X, as he is known in some quarters, is indeed a supremely gifted musician. The northeast connection comes about thanks to his longstanding friendship with pianist Paul Edis. They met in London, gigged, and have maintained an enduring musical partnership. The set list comprises the Great American Songbook sprinkled with one or two original compositions. A top class rhythm section makes all the difference on a gig like this and without question, these northeast dates are five-star affairs thanks to the calibre of musician available to Vasilis and Paul. Opus 4 Jazz Club at the Traveller’s Rest in Cockerton, Darlington, will feature Andy Champion and Russ Morgan. Andy is, for some, the finest bass player in the country, and drummer Russ is considered, rightly, as a ‘first call’ musician for prestigious gigs such as these. The Blaydon Jazz Club date will feature Bishop Auckland’s Mick Shoulder on bass working alongside Russ Morgan. Mick is one of the most accomplished musicians on the scene and Vasi has secured his services for this Blaydon gig and a second date north of the border in Eyemouth.

Of course, the piano player at Darlington and Blaydon will be Paul Edis. Based on Tyneside, Edis, if he so chose, could work in London or New York. When Vasi makes the trip ‘up north’ he must think Christmas has come early! You’re thinking: What’s the ‘XPQ’ all about. Well, not only will we get to hear Xenopoulos (Vasilis), but, believe it or not, Price (Nigel)! Guitarist Nigel Price is co-leader with Vasi of their quintet, hence XPQ. Nigel is an amazing guitarist. Gigging relentlessly, his recent tour of Britain comprised a mere fifty-six dates!!! Vasi and Nigel have worked together for ten years yet these October gigs will be the first time they have ventured north with their quintet. The saxophone-guitar format has an illustrious history in jazz and their concerts will look at some of the classic duo partnerships including Jim Hall-Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery-Johnny Griffin, Charlie Byrd-Stan Getz, and Kenny Burrell-Stanley Turrentine.

As an hors-d'oeuvre Xenopolous will play a duo gig with Paul Edis at the Lit and Phil Library at one o’clock on Friday 20 October. Pay on the door, £5.00 admission. It is advisable to arrive early as it will almost certainly be a sell-out. No advance sales, pay on the day, first come, first served. Then in the evening at the Traveller’s Rest it’s the quintet (XPQ). Doors at eight, first set at eight thirty, it too will be very busy. £10.00 on the door. The Blaydon Jazz Club date – Sunday 22 October – will similarly be busy. First set at 8:00pm, ten pounds on the door. Parking is available adjacent to the Black Bull on Bridge Street, and an excellent, reliable last bus departs Blaydon at 22:55, arriving at Clayton Street West, Newcastle at 23:08 leaving plenty of time to catch a Metro or last bus home.
Hopefully, XPQ will have their CD Sidekicks with them. Buy one, Christmas has come early.    

Russell

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