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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.

Monday, May 21, 2018

The Bud Plus: Budtet @ The Globe Jazz Bar - May 20

Stu Finden (tenor); Fiona Finden (sop/vocal); Jude Murphy (alto/flute/vocal); Dave Weisser (cornet/vocal); Lin Lee Wong (piano); Andrew 'Drew' Porritt (bass); Eric Stutt (drums).
(Review by Lance).
Budtet's guitarist didn't make the gig. Understandable as Budtet were a last-minute replacement after the all-girl Break Out Brass Band pulled out. So the octet became a septet albeit, like the band they were depping for, still with a strong - if not total - female presence.
The plus factor did remain with the addition of the legendary Dave Weisser playing muted cornet and singing in his inimitable way.
However, the star of the evening was the departing keyboard player, Lin Lee Wong. Ms Wong will be missed by both band and audience. Her final chorus on A Train a timely reminder of what we're losing.
The additional voice that Weisser's cornet brought filled out the front line giving Boplicity an ensemble sound that rivalled the original Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool recording.
The opening number, Hank Mobley's This I Dig of You had set the stall out with solos all round - a pattern that followed for all the instrumental numbers. Initially, the balance wasn't perfect - the sound engineer had phoned in sick - but it smoothed out as the evening progressed and my ears adjusted to the room's acoustics.
Weisser sang On Green Dolphin St, complete with unaccompanied verse. This was Dave in Mark Murphy mode. Later, he took on the role of Eddie Jefferson for Annie Ross' famous vocalese version of Wardell Gray's Twisted - unravel that one if you can.
Groovin' High was pure bebop with everyone diggin' deep. Fi Finden sang Quiet Nights. It was ok given that I think bossa novas are now mucho passé. More to my taste was You Go To My Head which, apart from Fi's fine vocal, had a sooper dooper solo from Lin Lee.
Dave, Jude and Fiona formed a vocal trio for Route 66 that took a few detours.
A Dave Weisser gig invariably includes a tale and tonight's story was of him driving to California (on Route 66) in a beat-up automobile that eventually burnt-out in San Bernadino. It was New Year's Eve and he ended up getting drunk in San Berdoo!
Jude went solo for Nick Drake's River Man, the band played All the Things You Are, Fiona sang Wes' Four on Six and the show drew to an emotional climax with the aforementioned A Train.
It had been an enjoyable evening all of the soloists impressing, Eric Stutt's drums as punchy as ever, Drew's bass providing the vital linchpin whilst Lin Lee's injections into his solos were both humourous and effective. Apart from her too few vocals, Jude stood out on flute and alto, Fiona wailed on soprano and Stu's tenor playing cried to be heard more often.
A joyous and yet sad night - Exeter, you owe us one. Not only do you annihilate our rugby team but you commandeer one of our best pianists!
Lance.

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