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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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

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.

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Friday, May 18, 2018

Ada Francis: Final Year Undergraduate Recital @ The Boiler House, Newcastle University - May 17

Ada Francis (voice, Celtic harp) accompanied by Ben Richardson (keyboards); Luke Gaul (bass); Harry Still (drums); Alex de Alfaro (guitar); Megan Savage (vocals); Frankie Hay (vocals)
(Review by Russell) 
Her big day had finally arrived. Ada Francis sound checked right up to the last minute. After years of study, the softly spoken Scot surrounded herself with fellow student musicians. A large audience of family and friends materialised minutes before the scheduled five-thirty start. Examiners seated at the back of the room, her time had come…

Newcastle University’s final year undergraduate music recitals were in full swing at several campus locations; King’s Hall, the Recital Room and here at the recently opened Boiler House performance space. Some students drew the short straw – 9:30am can’t be the best time of day to perform, Ada hit lucky with her five-thirty time slot. On a sunny late afternoon, the recently converted boiler house (‘industrial chic’ the look) would forever be a fond memory for the soon-to-graduate Ada Francis.
Minutes before Ada’s performance was due to start your correspondent said hello to her tutor. Yes, Ada’s vocal coach is none other than Ruth Lambert. If Ada didn’t know it – she probably didn’t – to have Ms. Lambert in your corner all but guarantees success! Ada began her recital with Red, Red Rose. Singing and playing the harp, our examinee introduced Robert Burns’ poem as a part of her folk upbringing. And speaking of Ms. Lambert, Ada chose to sing Agua de Beber accompanied by a fine student rhythm section comprising Ben Richardson, piano, Luke Gaul, bass, and Harry Still on drums. These guys are three-quarters of Ida’s Italics, a gigging student band, the other being tenor player Jimmy Jefford and he was just about front row, he wouldn’t have missed this for the world.        
A recital should examine all aspects of a student’s study. Highlights shouldn’t come into it, but hey, Bebop Spoken Here was here for the ‘gig’ element and an undoubted highlight featured the duo of Ada and Ben, our singer insisting You’ve Changed. It wasn’t late night, hardly a jazz club setting, yet Ada put her heart and soul into it accompanied by Ben’s sensitive piano playing. The examiner couldn’t be anything other than impressed. Ada spoke of her delight in discovering the GASbook – so, her time at university has been well worth it! Our examinee thanked her bandmates for giving their time to rehearsals as she took them on a Juan Tizol/Duke Ellington Caravan journey. Clearly, a lot of thought had gone into the arrangement and it was evident that Ada had the stage presence to look around the room and engage with the audience. And the audience was definitely on side. If the examiner was in any doubt (unlikely) we were listening to an accomplished performer the huge volume of applause couldn’t have done any harm!
Guitarist Alex de Alfaro joined Ada to play Lush Life as a duo. Further confirmation that Ada was on her way to top marks! As a penultimate selection, an original composition – Ada forgot to announce the title! – featured not only the Italics but Ada’s backing singers Megan Savage (herself under the scrutiny of the examiners earlier in the day) and Frankie Hay. Ada Francis concluded her recital on good form playing one of her long-time favourite contemporary pop songs. An enjoyable afternoon – for the audience at least! – which Ada Francis is sure to relive many times. 
Russell                               

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