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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

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

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.
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: 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.

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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