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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

15260 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 279 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (March 29).

From This Moment On ...

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: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Jambone @ Sage Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (book online). A YMP! event in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 01: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 04: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 04: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Bradley Johnston (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations. Feat. John Pope, Marie Shreer, John Garner.
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 06: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Note earlier start time.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 07: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 07: Finntet + Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion @ Bobik's, Punch Bowl, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.
Fri 07: TBA @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Blind Pig Blues Club.

Thursday, May 03, 2018

Remi Harris Trio @ The Jazz Café, Newcastle - May 2

Remi Harris (guitars,  ukulele); Caley Groves (rhythm guitar); Mike Green (double bass)
(Review by Russell)
Some eagerly anticipated gigs meet or exceed expectations and this first Newcastle appearance by Remi Harris ticked every box. Guitarist Harris arrived in good time with rhythm guitarist Caley Groves, bassist Mike Green and tour manager Dani Harris. The trio set up, sound checked, then, perhaps, went for a wander. Whatever their pre-gig routine they were on the premises in time for the first of two sets beginning at eight o’clock.
The upstairs room of the Jazz Café on Pink Lane proved the ideal space; Remi’s array of guitars (see photos) sparkled under the stage lights as the trio relaxed on sofas (Caley and Mike), Remi preferring a basic chair and, perhaps tellingly, with guitar in hand. One imagines that our guitarist from rural Worcestershire is rarely without one of his guitars. Is he a guitar obsessive? Probably! This would go some way in explaining the remarkable talent of a young man who appeared to be rather shy and for the first twenty minutes or so Harris let his guitar do the talking for him.
 
Introductions would follow but for now, the music spoke; a few bars of All the Things You Are then into Can’t Buy Me Love. Harris is known as a ‘Hot Cub’ or ‘gypsy jazz’ guitarist, yet there is more, much more to him than that. Yes, Django is a key figure, as is Wes Montgomery, and a mean low down blues is in Harris’ locker, as is a ukulele! Caravan’s double swing time sections – Caley and Mike were all over it – showcased the trio’s near-telepathic understanding, scarcely a glance such was the trust between them. Remi conjured – it was as if by magic – an amazing intro to Pennies from Heaven and, as we were to discover, he has a penchant for a fleeting quote, on this number Percy Grainger’s Country Gardens. The Meters’ Cissy Strut worked well alongside Nature Boy (the latter featuring one of many fine solos from accomplished bassist Mike Green) as Remi switched from his beautiful Maccaferri (obtained from a luthier in Cumbria, rhythm guitarist Caley acquired his own equally fine Maccaferri in Paris) to powder blue Strat to a twelve string to a Les Paul for a Peter Green homage playing Need Your Love So Bad.

From time to time Harris utilised a pedal board to good effect yet it was his sheer virtuosity which transfixed an attentive audience. The setlist was in the heads of all three musicians, a written setlist wasn’t required and the breadth of material was no doubt designed to maintain interest – their interest and that of the audience. More from the Fab Four – Here, There and Everywhere – and a quite amazing ukulele/double bass rendition of All of Me and as the evening progressed the main man opened up to the audience talking about his many guitars (the Jazz Café resembled a guitar shop…home from home for Remi as he used to work in one!) and the development of his chosen instrument. Remi name-checked French guitarist Dorado Schmitt suggesting he was an important bridge between Django’s era and the many Hot Club guitarists of today. Fittingly the Remi Harris Trio played Bossa Dorado.
There was so much brilliant guitar playing; Freddie King, a fleeting quote from early Led Zeppelin, Wes Montgomery (tellingly Remi said he would take Wes to his desert island) and of course there was Django Reinhardt. Tyneside has waited a long time to hear Remi Harris, let’s hope he returns
before long.                       
Russell

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