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Bebop Spoken There

James Brandon Lewis: "Sometimes I'm not thinking about anything other than blowing the paint off the walls, and other times I'm narrating a story about my life." - (DownBeat 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

15516 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 536 of them this year alone and, so far, 25 this month (June 7).

From This Moment On ...

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: Jeffrey Hewer @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington. 6:00-8:00pm. Free.
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.
Sun 11: Jam No. 19 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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.).

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 14: NUJO Final Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcastle. 6:30pm. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra's final jam session of the academic year. All welcome.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 15: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 15: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Thu 15: Alexander Ord Trio @ Tynedale Beer & Cider Festival, Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. Evening, time TBC.
Thu 15: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. Time TBC.
Thu 15: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Bradley Johnston @ The Fire Station, Sunderland - Feb 4

Bradley Johnston (guitar)
(Review by Russell)
Metro on time, weather fine, a stroll up the road to the Fire Station, a now familiar early Sunday evening routine. The Fire Station stands on High Street West, the heart of Sunderland’s rapidly developing ‘cultural quarter’ boasting site-specific artworks, the imposing Empire Theatre, nice pubs, restaurants and a hotel. And there is more to come. The Auditorium, a 450 capacity new build venue scheduled to open next year, will offer a state of the art performance space – good news for musicians! One top class musician is ahead of the game as guitarist Bradley Johnston recently commenced a weekly residency at the impressive, recently renovated Fire Station. 
On entering the bar/restaurant our man Bradley Johnston was in full flow. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, How High the Moon?, They Can’t Take That Away From Me. Sinking into a comfortable armchair next to Bradley’s performance platform, the thought occurred that one could settle in for the night. Perhaps that is the Fire Station’s cunning little plan! Misty, One Note Samba, Have You Met Miss Jones? – all impeccably played, think Joe Pass, that’ll give you an idea of what Brad is about on this gig.

The Beatles have long since been an abundant source of material for jazz musicians, particularly guitarists, to rearrange, reharmonise and improvise to until the cows come home. Brad picked up his six-string acoustic to play something by the Fab Four, And I Love Her and In My Life arranged respectively by Messrs P Metheny and B Johnston. The man Metheny is keeping good company!  

Brad played three sets during the evening, the intervals an opportunity to eat, then meet up with friends and, this evening, ‘Miss’ was in the house. ‘Miss’ being a former school teacher of Brad’s. Now they’re on first name terms.

A bluesy A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Cherokee, These Foolish Things segueing into a samba then Georgia and The Very Thought of You. The artistry, invention and seamless transition from one number to another, this was a master guitarist at work. Mr Metheny’s Farmer’s Trust had to be in there somewhere and it was. Beautiful Love – what a tune! – then Harold Arlen’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, one could listen to this stuff all night…ah! the Fire Station’s plan was working a treat as the only reason to rise from the armchair comfort was to go to the bar again.

Satin Doll (comp Ellington/Strayhorn), James’ Waltz (comp B Johnston), the latter rightly taking its place in a long list of tunes played during the evening. As nine o’clock approached Brad played an exquisite version of Over the Rainbow. If jazz guitar is your thing do get along to the Fire Station, Sundays at six. Highly recommended.       

Russell.        

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

They were the worst singers and worst songwriters in the world too.

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