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Bebop Spoken There

Wendell Brunious: "Because the blues is not 1,4 and 5 or 1,4,5,2,1. You could wake up with a flat tyre or a headache this morning, that's the blues, man" - (DownBeat, Oct. 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

15878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 885 of them this year alone and, so far, 83 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums). CANCELLED!

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: King Bees @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 07: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 10:15am. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 07: Bugge & Niccols + Moore & Fairhall @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - All the Things You Are. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rie Nakajima @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Sat 07: Samuel Blaser Trio + Toxvaerd & Zeeberg + Muramatsu & Welch @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Zoë Gilby Quintet + Ubunye @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Line-up inc. Tony Kofi. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 08: Tommy Bentz Band @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. USA blues band.

Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Cherise Adams-Burnett @ The Grove, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. .

Tue 10: Abbie Finn Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Monday, October 23, 2017

XPQ @ Blaydon Jazz Club - October 22














Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor saxophone), Nigel Price (guitar), Paul Edis (piano), Mick Shoulder (double bass) & Russ Morgan (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Roly V & Jerry E)
They came from all points – Cumbria, County Durham, Tynedale, and hot foot from a star-studded Big Idea gig at Hoochie Coochie. The Black Bull bulged at the seams…Vasi X was back in town! A full house was all but assured thanks to Vasilis Xenopoulos’ hugely successful previous visits, and,  long before the advertised start time of eight o’clock, it became clear that this Blaydon Jazz Club gig would indeed attract a capacity audience.
XPQ – the ‘X’ denotes Xenopoulos, Vasilis, the ‘P’ Price, Nigel. The ‘Q’ signifies ‘quartet’ or, on this date, ‘quintet’. Tenor saxophonist Vasilis and guitarist Nigel first worked together something like ten years ago and they have had the privilege of sharing a stage with some of the finest jazz musicians in the country. This Black Bull gig found the London-based duo in exalted company. Yes, the guest names were delighted to be playing this Tyneside gig with three of the very best – Paul Edis, piano, Mick Shoulder, double bass and drummer Russ Morgan! Two sets would comprise numbers which continue to be associated with some of the great saxophone-guitar partnerships in jazz. Vasilis put down an early marker with a scintillating opening solo on Without a Song (Sonny Rollins-Jim Hall).
As at Friday evening’s gig at Darlington’s Opus 4 Jazz Club the volume of applause was something quite exceptional and all subsequent solos (Vasilis’ and those of his bandmates) were met with the same raucous enthusiasm. Detailing each and every stupendous solo contribution would require a review of ten thousand words and more. Suffice to say each and every stunning solo seemed to be trumped by the next!
Vasilis introduced Dave Cliff’s The Right Time and in so doing mentioned that the British guitarist’s upbringing was in this neck of the woods. Vasilis’ facility on tenor is unsurpassed and, at speed, he peppered the tune with fleeting quotes including Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise and Nature Boy. It was magical stuff alright but Paul Edis matched Vasilis with an astounding solo of his own. Decibel levels rose to a new high as the audience responded with ever greater enthusiasm. Nigel’s intro to When Joanna Loved Me (Paul Desmond-Jim Hall) recalled the brilliance of Jim Hall and Joe Pass.
The first set closed with an impossible, cutting-contest tempo on Ready and Able. The quintet tore up the Ronnie Cuber-George Benson vehicle with panache, relish, and no little devilment. Smiles all round, beads of sweat on foreheads, absolutely amazing!

Nigel offered the opinion that sometimes the simplest tunes are the best. The Hank Mobley-Grant Green partnership yielded Uh Huh and Nigel and the boys, in blues mode, played it. Vasilis’ solo later prompted Nigel to say: That was the best tenor saxophone solo I’ve…pausing to look across at the tenor man himself…heard this year. If Nigel was thinking That was the best tenor saxophone solo I’ve ever heard then few present would have argued. Full House, If Ever I Would Leave You, tune after tune, simply magnificent. All tunes played feature on XPQ’s CD Sidekicks.     

For an encore, Vasilis said they would combine Billie’s Bounce and Straight No Chaser. If there is a jazz heaven, it must look and sound something like this. Gig of the year? You bet!
Russell.

4 comments :

Patti said...

Oh yes - I was there ....... what a night too, a real trip to jazz paradise. Full of exquisite musical highs. Let's hope we don't have to wait too long for another bounce around with Vasilis, and the supremely talented Nigel.

JERRY said...

I debated whether to go or not as my wife had other commitments on Sunday evening. I went, and am so pleased I did! In a wholly positive sense I would have to say that I've never seen anything like it before. All the musicians were really "in the zone" and the audience response was amazing! Much thanks to Roly for bringing it all together.

Patti said...

Yes indeed - where would we be without guys like Roly, with all his enthusiasm for the good music? We owe a massive debt to people like Roly, the Jazz Cafe team, and Warren at Hoochie Coochie ......

Roly said...

You too Patti. The Whitley Bay Jazz Party is a very special thing, perhaps the finest festival of its kind worldwide. It must take a huge amount of time and effort to put it all together. It's wonderful that you continue the work and maintain the legacy of Mike who organised so much for us all. Yes Sunday evening was one of those special ones you never forget.

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