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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club: Just Friends @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guest band night w. Richie Emmerson, Ian Bosworth, Dave Archbold, Ron Smith, Mark Hawkins. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoe Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Alto Summit @ Jazz Café Jam Session - February 20

(Review by Lance).
If the keyword tonight had been sex as opposed to sax then this wouldn't have been a jam session but a bacchanalian orgy. As it was, with 4 altos and 2 tenors strutting their stuff it was certainly an evening of musical hedonism for both players and listeners.
It all began quite sedately with the house trio, this week with Stu Collingwood at the helm, gently swinging through A Foggy Day and Masquerade. The temperature rose with the arrival of Ray Johnson all the way from Northallerton. This may seem a distance but, as he previously commuted from Rothbury, probably an easier trip thanks to Richard Branson.
Ray was on flugel tonight and the mellow-toned instrument did justice to Pennies From Heaven and likewise, an edgier take on Stanley Turrentine's Sugar.
Debra Milne is never one to take the easy way out and our girl met the challenge of vocalising Coltrane's Equinox head on - the gal's got guts!
By now the room was alive as the student population descended.
Ben Richardson spelled Stu on piano, Abbie Finn gave Paul a break on drums and George Sykes set the pace on tenor with There Will Never be Another You. So far so good but when Dan Garel (the first of the altos) joined him we knew this really was a jam session. Kenny Burrell's Chitlins Con Carne the test piece. (Photo by Russell)
To describe Garel's playing as 'fluent' is like describing Usain Bolt as a 'jogger'. Garel fairly soared through the changes at almost twice the speed of light. Wisely, Sykes didn't try to outrun him but, instead, concentrated on content culminating with a bass and tenor exchange that levelled the score.
Ben Richardson separated the protagonists with a fine solo whilst Abbie Finn had a few explosions of her own to keep the boys on their toes. Needless to say, John Pope played a blinder all night despite there being no bass players in the house to give him a break.
Garel stayed aboard for Days of Wine and Roses. Ray Johnson returned along with tenorist Simon Probyn and Tom Hogg on drums.
Dan and Tom stepped down for Adam Stapleford, of the contemporary jazz group Taupe at the kit.
It Don't Mean a Thing proved that Adam has studied jazz past, present and future. He fitted in.
The delightful Inês Gonçalves from Portugal (photo by Russell), in the company of guitarist Peter, played Spain! It was one of those jam session moments when nobody quite knew when to stop - all good fun!
It had been a while since alto player number 2, Jordan Alfonso, showed at the Caff. He excelled on Take the A Train and held his own with alto number 3, Jimmy Jefford, on Beautiful Love. Paul Wight took the honours, however, with an amazing solo on brushes.
Inês returned, this time to sing Corcovado. Alto number 4, Tom Dixon joined the gang for this popular (with Portuguese singers) bossa nova.
The evening was drawing to a close but there was still time for Joel Brown to capture the piano stool for Autumn Leaves.
Final number, I'm told, was Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! but, by this time, I was on the platform waiting for the Metro.
Another killer jam at the Jazz Café.
Photos.
Lance.
PS: Because of the abundance of pianists we didn't hear as much of Stu Collingwood as many of us would have wished. However, needless to say, when he was playing he did the business as one would expect from such a classy player.
Stu Collingwood (piano); John Pope (bass); Paul Wight (drums) + Ray Johnson (flugel); Debra Milne (vocal); Ben Richardson (piano); George Sykes (tenor); Abbie Finn (drums); Dan Garel (alto); Simon Probyn (tenor); Tom Hogg (drums); Adam Stapleford (drums); Inês Gonçalves (piano & vocals); Peter ? (guitar); Jordan Alfonso (alto); Jimmy Jefford (alto); Tom Dixon (alto); Joel Brown (piano).

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