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Bebop Spoken There

David Hadju: "It was kind of a lightning bolt [seeing a photo of a hi-fi store that's now occupied by a phone store]. Everyone had hi-fi systems, now everyone has a phone" - (DownBeat May 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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Sun 28: Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia @ Whitley Bay Carnival. Free. Plaza Arena stage. 12 noon.
Sun 28: MSK @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 12:15pm. Free. Marquee stage. MSK - Steve Glendinning, Katy Trigger, Martin Douglas.
Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 1:30pm. Free. Marquee stage.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary's Church, Wooler NE71 6BZ. 3:00pm. £15.00 standard; £5.00 student/unwaged; free under 18. Afternoon Cocktail, a Wooler Summer Arts' concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 3:00pm. Free. Plaza Arena stage.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 28: King Bees @ The Delaval Arms, Old Hartley NE26 4RL. 5:00pm. Free. Chicago blues at its best!
Sun 28: Matt Anderson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Anderson (saxophones); Jamil Sheriff (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums).

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 30: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 30: Big Chris Barber Band @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Francis Tulip Quartet @ The Jazz Café - Dec 22

Francis Tulip (guitar), Joel Brown (keyboards), Michael Dunlop (bass) & Matt MacKellar (drums)
(Review by Russell)
Cut and paste Wednesday’s Durham Empty Shop gig, job done. All too easy, the Francis Tulip Quartet is a developing project and considering the four musicians meet up infrequently it is all the more remarkable that they are able to produce a performance as good as this. Wednesday was good, this Friday evening Jazz Café gig was better still. And there is more to come…
 The setlist was much the same in much the same order and no bad thing as it offered a simple opportunity to compare and contrast. The quartet – Francis, Joel, Michael and Matt – got down to business long before the audience arrived, running through their set list, topping and tailing a few tunes, making sure everything was sorted in advance of the advertised start time.

Stablemates, Purim, Body and Soul, yes, Durham revisited. The playing seemed more assured, no surprise given that playing gigs is key. Imagine if they had gigs on December 23, 24, 25, 26, and on, the phrase ‘well-oiled’ springs to mind. And the Francis Tulip Quartet is just that, four of the most promising young musicians to emerge on the northeast jazz scene in years and it’s as if they’re seasoned pros. Alone Together (comp. Arthur Schwartz/lyrics Howard Dietz) served to demonstrate their appreciation of a GASbook classic, sitting quite comfortably alongside a more contemporary number such as Chick Corea’s 500 Miles High, the closing number of an excellent first set.

Wayne Shorter’s Yes or No opened the second set featuring drummer Matt MacKellar’s sparkling solo followed by another chance to hear Gilad Hekselman’s March of the Sad Ones. Pianist Joel Brown shone on Joe Henderson’s Black Narcissus, as did bandleader Tulip, and Guildhall student, bassist Michael Dunlop. Monk’s In Walked Bud featured yet more great playing centred around an extended exchange of fours. Christian McBride’s Interlude once again took its place in the set list with guitarist Tulip mightily impressive as was MacKellar with his hi-hat working overtime. As last bus time approached Tulip said they would end on something Christmassy. Matt MacKellar picked up his brushes as the quartet went out on a fine arrangement of Silent Night. The Jazz Café Friday night audience wanted more and they got it with another superb, blistering take on John Coltrane’s Impressions. The Francis Tulip Quartet will resume its tour itinerary on Tuesday 9th January at the Fox Inn on West End Terrace, Hexham. Arrive in good time, the first set will get underway at eight thirty. Highly recommended.   
Russell

1 comment :

Steve T said...

Francis had been talking about doing a free improvisational thing so that's what I thought we were going to get, until hints of Impressions began seeping through, delivering one of those Joy and Pain/ Nickel and Nail/ Lucky Fellow moments.
I get that they don't want an assumption to evolve where people expect them to do it every time, but this was the best one yet. Extraordinary.

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