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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Fri 20: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 20: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, East Bedlington Community Centre. 7:00pm.
Fri 20: Pete Tanton’s Christmas @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Alligator Gumbo @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Abbie Finn’s Finntet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 20: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sat 21: Lindsay Hannon Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £15.00. ‘Swinging with Christmas Songs’.
Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 21: Jackson’s Wharf Xmas Party @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 7:00pm. Free. Featuring the New ’58 Jazz Collective.
Sat 21: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

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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