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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.

Friday, December 08, 2017

Riviera Quartet @ Empty Shop, Durham - December 7

Pete Tanton (trumpet, flugelhorn & vocals), Mark Williams (guitar), John Pope (double bass) & Russ Morgan (drums)
(Review by Russell)
35c Framwellgate Bridge, Durham. Empty Shop was open for business on a freezing winter’s night. Upon arrival, proprietor Carlo just happened to be at the speakeasy’s door. Many in? enquired your correspondent. Yeah said our welcoming host. At the top of the stairs a ‘hello’ to JP, Mr John Pope. The bar snuggly warm, a Pinot Grigio and a bottle of Pavlov’s Dog the order, MC Tony Eales hadn’t reserved seats…tut tut! 
A few seats were available as Pete Tanton and co prepared to begin their first set. December in Durham, starting with Barbados, of course. Tanton is the Riviera Quartet’s principal composer and a second of the multi-talented ex-pat American’s tunes, a waltz – Turf Warfollowed. Pete Tanton opened on flugelhorn with master guitarist to his left, Mark Williams, ready to craft another amazing solo. (MW doesn’t do anything other than amazing). Tanton said the Rivieras were known for their ‘bossa, blues and bebop’. True enough. What they weren’t known for was Tanton’s vocals! Yes, as the trumpet and flugelhorn player would say during an interval chat he has always thought himself a ‘singer-songwriter’. The multi-talented Pete Tanton! His vocal style? Chet Baker-ish, plaintive, the voice of Johnny Lonely (Tanton’s first novel – Johnny Lonely – is required reading). A surprise, the kind of surprise that makes one exclaim: Well, I never!

Musically, the Riviera Quartet has developed apace. The core ‘bossa, blues and bebop’ remains in place, now with the addition of Tanton’s vocals (!), and, from time to time, the quartet introduced an element of freer improvisation. There is an easy going relationship between the four musicians and at one point during the evening Tanton turned to John Pope to ask how many bands the bassist is currently involved with. JP began to count on his fingers: There’s…and there is…and...then there is… losing count at nine. A few favourites from the pad were given an outing including  The Cat’s Reply and the set closer, Williams’ Booze Blues but this Empty Shop gig will be remembered for an unexpected occurrence, that of Pete Tanton singing. Check out the Riviera Quartet and you could hit lucky in hearing PT singing Lately I’ve Been Lonely or, perhaps, You Don’t Smile Anymore.           
Russell

1 comment :

Patti said...

Geordie jazz nuts don't stay at home because of a few degrees of freezing - not when a band like this has a gig! A fabulous evening of great jazzy numbers, all originals - with one of the top rhythm sections in the land, and front man Pete, sweetly mellow on trumpet and flugelhorn.

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