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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 13: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 13: Infusion Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 13: Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv.).

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Xmas Jam @ the Jazz Café - December 19

(Review by Lance).
Quite a night! Having been off the scene for a few months, I couldn't have wished for a better gig to write about. Or could I? Come closing time  I'd simply ran out of superlatives. The perfect Christmas party. No mince pies, Santa Claus outfits or carols (although Paul Gowland did throw in a few bars of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen during a blistering exchange of fours). So much happening that to list everything would be pointless. It was all so good.
With Matt MacKellar home for Xmas from Berklee in Boston, Mass, the emphasis was naturally on drums. Matt's final solo of the evening was quite breathtaking. Not that this was the only percussive highlight. Dylan Thompson belied his tender years to indicate that he too is a contender. Tommy Claydon, part of the orchestra in one of the local pantomimes, sat in and proved that he is another outstanding skinman. Then there was Abbie Finn. Abbie would have been justified in saying that any one of the other three played pretty good for a man. The girl was inspired, particularly when driving tenorman Harry Keeble to a great solo on Autumn Leaves. My sources tell me they are an item which must prove something or other. Simply great.

Damian Cook is another pantomime performer and a regular on the local scene every festive season. No 'bah humbugs' when he starts to blow.
Likewise Paul Gowland, veteran of a 1000 JC jams, never fails to hold his own and must surely be an inspiration for fellow altoists Beth Roberts and Alex Thompson who set the early running.
The pace stepped up when Michael Lamb and David Gray added some brass to the front line. The roof was last seen heading towards the coast.
Stu Finden, sans saxophone, took over on bass to give Pope John a well-earned rest, Dave Weisser played cornet and Joel Brown and Philipp Grobe alternated on piano.
Oh yes, I almost forgot, the guitar section!
Steve Glendinning led the house trio and the opening Billie's Bounce was amazing even by his own high standards.  With Pope and Matt completing the trio it was put up or shut up. All three put up.
Bradley Johnston - it seems like only yesterday he was a promising student of James Birkett. Hear him now!
The same could also be said of Francis Tulip who is fast moving into rarified heights. He played a blinder and that's not all.
Tonight, Francis, Joel, Matt and bassist Michael Dunlop are at the Empty Shop in Durham. On Friday they are back at the Jazz Café and on January 9 are at The Fox in Hexham. Details of all these gigs can be found in the previous post by Russell.
Finally, although it was a great night, it was not without a touch of sadness as we were reminded that, on December 29, it will be 5 years since the former Jazz Café Supremo Keith Crombie passed away.
Most of us old enough to remember Keith no doubt shed a silent tear.
He'd have loved what he heard.
RIP.
Photo album.
Lance.
Steve Glendinning (guitar); John Pope (bass); Matthew MacKellar (drums) + Beth Roberts, Alex Thompson, Paul Gowland (alto); Damian Cook, Harry Keeble (tenor); David Gray (trombone); Michael Lamb (trumpet); Dave Weisser (cornet); Joel Brown, Philipp Grobe (piano); Francis Tulip, Bradley Johnston (guitar); Stuart Finden (bass); Dylan Thompson, Tommy Claydon, Abbie Finn (drums).

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