Total Pageviews

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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio + Abbie Finn @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

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: 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.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

A bit on the Side

As Bebop Spoken Here's 10th birthday approaches and, with a significant birthday of my own in the offing, I'd like to reflect upon some of those gigs that were inspirational towards the creation of this labour of love. One venue, in particular, stands out.
Although I'd loved jazz for most of my life, and played in a few bands along the way, it was stumbling upon The Side Café on Newcastle's Quayside that resuscitated my enthusiasm. This was in 2008. So many of my contemporaries had passed on - Charlie Carmichael, Nigel Stanger, Trevor Johnson, Bobby Carr, Teddy Langston, Alf Parker, Ronnie McLean, Hughie Aitchison and many more that I'd begun to think the future for the music looked bleak.
However, I soon discovered the future was far from bleak. A young singer was singing songs from her mother's era and singing them good. No surprise when I discovered that this was Zöe Gilby, daughter of Mike Gilby whom I'd played alongside in the Newcastle Big Band.
From then on, the Side Café became my Monday date and, each week I was gobsmacked to discover how much young talent there was on the jazz scene. This was ten years ago and, today, the talent is getting even younger!
This was and is, mainly due to the work put in by Paul Edis who kicked off these sessions as part of the NEJC (North East Jazz Collective).
There really were some amazing sessions. May 5 I first heard the brilliant Vasilis Xenopoulos. I think my headline was 'Be Aware of Greeks Blowing Riffs'. Hopefully, my journalistic skills have improved since then!
Each week was an absolute delight. The vocal torch was carried by Ruth Lambert and Lindsay Hannon. Guitarists Mark Williams, Nick Pride, Tom Dibb, Edd Carr and Roly Veitch impressed. Graeme Wilson, Graham Hardy, Noel Dennis, David Carnegie, Adrian Tilbrook, Mick Shoulder and Andy Champion also caught my eye as they have done ever since. There were so many that I  apologise to those that I've missed out.
Bands like Extreme Measures took the place by storm as did the Paul Edis Sextet.
Strangely, not every gig was a sellout and the one which should have paid the bills from here to breakfast time - ace trumpet man, Steve Waterman, - didn't pull. One which did was the guitar duo of Deidre Cartwright and Kathy Dyson paying tribute to the late Emily Remler.
It was a wonderful couple of years in which we heard some fantastic music, gave a kickstart to this blog and helped Paul Edis towards the high esteem he is held in today.
Lance


6 comments :

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed those sessions very much Lance. That small, intimate room upstairs was ideal and you were close to the musicians in a way that meant you shared in the performance in a very nice way. I remember well the time I climbed the stairs hearing the music wafting down the stairs and thinking 'who is that great saxophonist' - it was Vas. The whole endeavour had a nice feel about it and the North East Jazz Collective concept was a really good idea.
Roly

cptfinch said...

Hear hear Lance. I was at that Steve Waterman gig. Blown away by the chops.
And it was around that time I found your blog and got back in to jazz

Paul Edis (on F/b). said...

Thanks for this Lance. Many happy memories reading this and looking through the photos...

Adam Sinclair (on F/b) said...

This seems like a lifetime ago! As the photographic evidence shows I was there.

Jamie McCredie (on F/b) said...

These are gorgeous Lance. Thanks for all you’ve done & continue to do. What a precious contribution and documentation of the scene in the North. Raising a glass to you from London x

Ken Drew (on F/b) said...

That photo is a real gem !! Nice One Lance.

Blog Archive