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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

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 Zoë 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.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Monday, February 19, 2018

Postmodern Jukebox @ Sage Gateshead - Feb 18

(Review by Russell).
The phenomenon that is Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox rocked up at Sage Gateshead to play the third date of an extensive European tour. Sage One’s near-capacity audience loved the fast-paced two-hour show, the band playing straight through without a break. Simultaneously Post Modern Jukebox (PMJ) was touring coast to coast in America. How could this be? Simple, Scott Bradlee’s roster of musicians has grown to such proportions that it is possible to organise itineraries on two continents!

Charismatic frontman ‘Cunio’ (Michael Cunio) bounded onto the stage; shaven head, shiny suit,  shiny black Rat Pack cabaret shoes (no socks!). Our MC for the evening came right out with it… this was his debut tour with PMJ! The band cruising, Cunio produced all the moves, screaming, falsetto vocals, a touch of James Brown. Get on down, the revue was well and truly underway, non-stop action, the singers on and off stage, left and right, the band cruising.
Earlier in the month West End star Emma Hatton (Evita) went into rehearsals for this PMJ show and would feature extensively alongside fellow vocalists Dani Armstrong (aka Jack Dani), Brielle von Hugel and the larger than life Mario Jose. The PMJ’s setlist would be drawn from the huge pad of tunes amassed by Bradlee. Would we hear Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake?

Bradlee’s winning formula is in reworking popular tunes, presenting them in Jazz Age and swing era styles, with, at times, the familiar cleverly disguised, often until the hook. The band – rhythm section and horns – couldn’t have been tighter. Clearly rehearsed to the nth degree, solo spots were few and far between as this Sage Gateshead show was all about the singers, themselves submitting to first class choreography. Backstage costume changes were many with Jack, Emma and Brielle in and out of one slinky number after another as the band played on. Jack sang Sia’s From the Chandelier bringing the house, if not the ornate light fitting, down. Brielle von Hugel’s vocals on PMJ’s All About That Bass YouTube hit just about won a standing ovation from Sage Gateshead’s by now jumping crowd.      

Chloe Feoranzo, all of five feet nothing, blew great tenor and clarinet from behind her PMJ Jazz Age music stand, and, on one number, sang like an angel! Fellow horn player, Berklee graduate,  trombonist Lemar Guillory, matched Feoranzo’s abilities as the pair of them had a ball. The duo’s feature spot found the horns stepping down into the packed stalls, blowing as they walked up the aisles. As Chloe approached row P your reviewer’s companion for the evening engaged in brief conversation with our dancing saxophonist. They had met at a jazz festival in America and here they were (almost) high-fiving at Sage Gateshead!

You Give Love a Bad Name (Bon Jovi), Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), some Maroon 5, Cab ‘Hi De Ho’ Calloway segueing into a searing Thriller, throw in a jazz tap masterclass from Lee Howard, PMJ had the audience in the palm of its twelve-strong collective hand. And, you say, just where was the Main Man, Mr Scott Bradlee? Probably home in the US of A, quite possibly on tour with his many other Post Modern Jukebox musicians. Bradlee or not this Sage Gateshead concert was a show and a half. Cunio and co promised to return and when they do, be sure to be there.     
Russell

Michael Cunio (MD, vocals); Dani Armstrong (vocals); Emma Hatton (vocals); Mario Jose (vocals); Brielle von Hugel (vocals); Chloe Feoranzo (tenor saxophone, clarinet & vocals); Lemar Guillory (trombone); ? (guitar & banjo); ? (piano); ? (double bass & bass guitar); Martin Diller (drums) & Lee Howard (jazz tap dancing)     

                 

3 comments :

Lance said...

Seems like they had an apres gig jam at the Prohibition Bar!

Patti said...

Maybe if any of the Blog readers were lucky enough to catch this jam session, they can post comments for us!! I bet it was a fantastic night ..... and I'm still kicking myself that I missed it!

Lance said...

You can check it out on Prohibition Bar's Facebook page.

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