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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 2023).

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!"

Postage

15260 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 279 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (March 29).

From This Moment On ...

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Jambone @ Sage Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (book online). A YMP! event in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 01: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 04: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 04: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Bradley Johnston (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations. Feat. John Pope, Marie Shreer, John Garner.
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 06: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Note earlier start time.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 07: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 07: Finntet + Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion @ Bobik's, Punch Bowl, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.
Fri 07: TBA @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Blind Pig Blues Club.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

The Julian Costello Quartet @ The Globe: October 7

Julian Costello (ten, sop saxes); Maciek Pysz (guitar); Michele Tacchi (bass guitar);  Adam Teixeira (drums).
(Review by Ann Alex/Photo courtesy of Dave Parker)
I didn’t know what to expect, as the sax player and guitarist had taken an excellent workshop at the Sage in the afternoon, mostly based on Miles Davis’s Flamenco Sketches, with us doing melodies based on modes, heady stuff. What we got in the evening is what I’d describe as ‘International Jazz’.
Tunes with influences from Poland, the East, martial drum beats, J S Bach-like guitar melodies, and titles such as Panettone, Walking Through The Jungle, Halloumi (Julian is addicted to this, or so he said).This was all thoroughly enjoyable, played to an appreciative audience, and I can’t wait for the band’s next visit.
The first set consisted of one long composite tune(s) and a shorter number - Walking Through The Jungle. It all began with a blast on the tenor, ambient sounds from the others, mallets on drums, electronics from the 7 small different coloured boxes lying beside the guitar, then a tune arose from the sound, a Latin beat, a groove, tenor solo, quick change to soprano, a drone from somewhere, then behold!, we were led in clapping the rhythm by the band. I’ve maybe made it all sound chaotic, but it all hung together beautifully. So readers will have gathered that this was no ‘play the head, solos all round, head again to finish’ job, but an interesting performance with quite a bit of humour as well, such as when the drummer blew up a balloon, Julian danced enthusiastically on the spot whilst playing, and Maciek and Julian had a mock fight, pretending to hit each other. There were many false endings to keep the audience guessing, such fun. The second tune sounded a bit more conventional, although it featured the drums especially, solos all round, and a rather sudden ending to contrast with the false endings that we were getting used to.

The second set comprised five tunes, and the first was a totally unspellable Polish tune, tenor led, drumsticks on cymbals, and the two guitars complementing each other, with hints of J S Bach. Indeed I think Bach would have enjoyed the whole gig. Panettone included martial drums, and Julian told us how another band member, who comes from Moscow, had complained about Putin. Putin had his revenge for that story as there was crackling on the guitar during the tune. Fruity was lively, boppy, with elements of rock music. Halloumi sounded Spanish, then became Eastern, as if the sax was charming snakes.  The final tune, The Cost Of Living, was cooler, calmer, a tune far lovelier than the title would seem to indicate.
What a satisfying evening of Jazz!
Ann Alex

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