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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Millstone - March 29

(Review by Russell). 
Easter weekend yet the band was just about at full strength, a testament to the commitment of those involved. A three-horn trumpet section plus two top-rank trombone deps, otherwise this was the A-Team ready to go on this the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band’s monthly public rehearsal night. No time to waste as MD Michael Lamb counted them in on Mexicali Nose (from Buddy Rich’s Big Swing Face) followed by Sammy Nestico’s arrangement of Hayburner. A cracking start and it’s a free admission night down at the Millstone!

A three-flute intro courtesy of Messrs Rangecroft, Robinson and Summers encouraged Alice Grace to confide: My Heart Belongs to Daddy. A nice arrangement with Steve Summers’ alto burning it up in advance of a Latin-feel trumpet part for Gordon Marshall. Band vocalist Grace hung around long enough to run through Teach Me Tonight. In fact, there was much more of Ms Grace with her side-kick F’reez elsewhere. An uptempo Beautiful Love, Angel Eyes with Paul Gowland’s breathy tenor, then a new chart – One Note at a Time – from the pen of American Doug Beach.
The SSBB’s pad is nothing if not varied. The reeds excelled on the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis number Groove Merchant as did ex-pat American trumpeter Pete Tanton and the SSBB’s ‘go to’ trombonist David Barnes. More vocal excellence from Alice Grace on Cole Porter’s You Do Something to Me, then a short interval, time for a natter – ‘hello’ to Brian, Jimmy, Jamie, Michael, Pete – and another pint of the Millstone’s tip-top, hard-to-find Bass.

A rip-roaring Ol’ Man River resumed hostilities with bandleader Lamb showing the way with a bold, assertive trumpet solo. More from Lamb as Alice Grace returned to ask How High the Moon? Band participation enabled our vocalist to engage in a fun call and response section on Ella’s early chart success A Tisket A Tasket. Neal Hefti then Rodgers and Hammerstein: Flight of the Foo Birds and My Favorite Things, the latter benefitting from Michael Whent’s in-the-pocket bass line and perhaps the solo of the night from Keith Robinson blowing some incisive alto.

The incomparable Alice Grace returned to see out the night singing Alright, Okay, You Win and an intriguing new chart – to these ears – from Dane Veronica Mortensen of guitarist Ole Frimer’s tune Not Just a Date. Mortensen has worked extensively with small group and big band, notably Aarhus’ Klüvers Big Band. Check out Mortensen’s work, and check out the Strictly Smokin’ Big Band’s gigs – the next public performance is a late Sunday afternoon session at Hoochie Coochie on April 22. 
Russell.                            
Strictly Smokin’ Big Band: Michael Lamb MD, Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall trumpets; David Barnes, Mark Ferris, Chris Kurgi-Smith, Laura Davison trombones; Jamie Toms, Paul Gowland, Steve Summers, Keith Robinson, Laurie Rangecroft reeds; Pawel Jedrzejewski guitar; Graham Don piano; Michael Whent bass; Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals).

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