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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17328 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 612 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (Sept. 5).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. £25.00. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.£10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Alligator Gumbo @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ BAA Fest, Brownrigg Lodges, Bellingham. 2:40pm.
Sun 08: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 08: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: ???

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.

Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.

Monday, March 12, 2018

Bold Big Band @ Dun Cow, Jesmond - March 11

(Review by Lance)
Well named! This young band of, predominantly, students from Newcastle University are certainly bold. You could also add brash and belting but not balladic. They don't do subtle, putting the boot in is their chosen forté; not surprising given that the pad contains a lot of Buddy Rich and Gordon Goodwin numbers. The audience of future Prime Ministers, captains of industry and Harley St., surgeons wouldn't want it any other way and, as the evening drew to a close, the space in front of the band was awash with gyrating bodies and not all of them were students. It says much for drummer Harry Still that he didn't allow the shadow of Buddy Rich to phase him and his drive contributed much to the excitement generated by the band that led to the terpsichorean workout.
Leader Jimmy Jefford is undoubtedly a saxophonist whose star is in the ascendancy. Complete control of his instrument (tenor) and a well-organised leader. His solo on Watermelon Man had the mercury bubbling over.
Alexis Cairns blew impressive tenor on Dancing Man and Mercedes Phillips on lead alto also blew well on Big Swing Face and Spain. Her soprano solo on Sing, Sang, Sung really wailed. Most of the trumpet solos were by Elliott Todd to whom range seems no obstacle.
In one of the more melodic moments, Alex Utting had a nice bass trombone feature on Wave and Bertie Marks had a blast on the aforementioned Dancing Man.
The rhythm section were as sound - or maybe even sounder in today's climate - as a pound with Ben Richardson well featured on keys as was Luke Gaul on guitar. Gaul also took over on bass guitar when Osiyemi stepped up to the plate for his vocals. After a somewhat hesitant beginning, the singer's confidence grew and, as the night progressed, he was firing on all cylinders.
The performance area at the Dun Cow is compact but, like most jazz venues these days, gives the audience the feeling that they are part of it unlike sitting in Row X of a concert hall and reaching for your binoculars. Although I was on Coca Cola (driving) I couldn't resist torturing myself by looking at the choice of real ales available...ah maybe next time and I'm sure there will be a next time...
Lance.

Info re personnel and setlists courtesy of Jimmy Jefford and Alexis Cairns.
Mercedes Phillips, David Johnson, Jimmy Jefford, Alexis Cairns, Lucy Miller (saxes); Oli Presland, Danny Wilson, Elliott Todd, Ben Chinery (trumpets); David Gray, Simon Hirst, Bertie Marks, Alex Utting (trombones); Ben Richardson (keys); Luke Gaul (guitar/bass guitar); Ifede Osiyemi (bass guitar and vocals); Harry Still (drums).

Set 1:
Big Swing Face (Ben Richardson, keys; Mercedes Phillips, alto sax)
Wave (Alex Utting, trombone)
Nutville (Jimmy Jefford, tenor sax; Elliott Todd, trumpet; Harry Still, drums)
See the World (Luke Gaul, guitar)
Ain't Misbehavin' (Ifede Osiyemi, vocals)
The Lady is a Tramp (Ifede Osiyemi, vocals)

Set 2:
Spain (Elliott Todd, trumpet; Ben Richardson, keys; Mercedes Phillips, alto sax)
Dancing Men (Alexis Cairns, tenor sax; Bertie Marks, trombone)
The Way You Look Tonight (Ifede Osiyemi, vocals)
L.O.V.E. (Ifede Osiyemi)
Children of Sanchez (Elliott Todd, trumpet; Luke Gaul, guitar)
Count Bubba (Ben Richardson, keys)

Set 3:
Sing Sang Sung (Mercedes Phillips, soprano sax)
Pick up the Pieces (David Johnson, alto sax; Ben Richardson, keys; Jimmy Jefford, tenor sax)
Mack the Knife (Ifede Osiyemi, vocals)
Come Fly With Me (Ifede Osiyemi, vocals)
Watermelon Man (Jimmy Jefford, tenor sax)
The Jazz Police (Jimmy Jefford, tenor sax; Luke Gaul, guitar)

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