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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

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

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 Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
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.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Friday, May 25, 2018

Stu Collingwood Trio @ The Fire Station, Sunderland - May 24

Stu Collingwood (piano); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
(Review by Lance/Photos courtesy of Russell).
A good acquaintance of mine remarked that he thought I was too fulsome with my praise when writing reviews. As this was from a person whose opinion I respect, I gave the matter some thought and came to the conclusion that he was right!
However, by way of explanation, I'll admit that when I like something or somebody I'm not afraid to show it. On the other hand, if I don't like something or somebody, I just keep my big mouth shut. After all, this isn't God speaking and all criticism is 99% subjective anyway. My friend mentioned jam session reviews which is a different kettle of fish altogether. Often some of the participants are relatively new to the game and speaking as one who knows the 1000 deaths a person can go through before plucking up the courage to play or sing (or even draw the raffle!) the last thing I want to do is quench their enthusiasm (the legend of Charlie Parker and the cymbal incident with Jo Jones springs to mind*). 
Constructive criticism? Well-meaning words but, in practice, not always seen that way by the recipient. Also, I think most musicians know whether they've played well or not without being told.
So, after all that, we come to tonight's inaugural jam session at the Fire Station in Sunderland. Now no longer a quencher of fires, this splendid addition to Sunderland's cultural scene which features guitarist Bradley Johnston on the last Sunday in the month (next one this coming Sunday, May 27), decided to have a weekly Jazz Jam similar to the fortnightly jams at the Jazz Café and the Globe in Newcastle, the Dun Cow in Jesmond and the weekly term time ones in Durham.
The house trio was magnificent (honestly, I speaketh true) but, sadly, the jammers stayed away. Possibly the approaching bank holiday weekend may have had an effect on this. Let's hope that next week sees some action.
Not that the evening was a total loss - far from it - how could it be with such a formidable threesome?
Stu appeared to be working alphabetically through the GASbook so we had: A Beautiful Friendship; But Beautiful; Beautiful Love; Caravan; Eleanor Rigby and Embraceable You in the first set.
The alphabet pie finished, the second set opened with If I Were a Bell; Fire Station Blues; Someday My Prince Will Come; Take Five (a request); 'Round Midnight (another request); On Green Dolphin Street and, finally, Moonglow which the couple with me voted the best number of the night - I didn't argue albeit it was a tough call!
The trio are back next Thursday so bring your axe along to the Fire Station (it's next to Sunderland Empire.)
Lance
* Read about the incident here.

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