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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

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Revolutionaires @ The Water House, North Road, Durham. 4:00pm. Rock 'n' roll excellence! Line-up inc. Pete Tanton.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

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: 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: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
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.

Wednesday, May 02, 2018

The Road to Jazz FM Fifth Annual Awards Ceremony - April 30.

(Report by Steve T)
Wow, how did little old me end up at a posh do like this? Actually, I'm exactly the sort of person who should be here, but that's not generally how it works. It's not what you know but how much dosh you've got. Full credit must go to Liddle ole Lance who has all but single-handedly turned this blog into a "Thing".
It was months ago when Lance asked me for suggestions for the blues and soul categories. I can't remember my suggestions for blues but I'm sure I'd have included Lucky Peterson (nominated), who played one of the best gigs Sage Gateshead has ever had. I consulted big brother, who grudgingly went for Robert Cray, a fine soulful voice and unique guitar stylist, who gave blues a much-needed shot with a brilliant second album in the early eighties, but the next album brought him within the sphere of Clapton etc and he's just brought out a similar album every year or two and toured it at various venues every other year ever since. 
William Bell, ranked amongst the greatest surviving soul artists, played highly acclaimed (at least by me) gigs at the London Jazz and Gateshead Americana Festivals, and his recent album is a fine, credible, traditional, modern soul album. Tasha (daughter of Johnnie) Taylor is one to watch and Angie Stone is inarguably the most important soul artist of the last quarter century.
Not having any vested interest in soul as a viable, on-going art-form, I recommended he consult more widely, but following my review of Leroy Hutson (nominated) at the Camden Jazz Cafe in December, Lance suggested him, and with two sell-out nights, a full reissue programme for 2018, and, being another of the greatest living soul artists, I concurred.

The Fifth Annual Awards Ceremony @ Shoreditch Town Hall, London, 30/4/18.

A plush venue, red carpet, J list celebrities most of whom I didn't recognise (just like other award ceremonies) and paparazzi (well, photographers).
No Stones this year - thank goodness - Paul Jones of Manfred Mann, the Blues Band and the Radio Two Rhythm and Blues Show was the most recognisable face  until I found myself stood about four feet from Pat Metheny.
Munchies (canapes) coming thick and fast.
Champagne (prosecco? - actually cava, but I'm a music snob, not a sparkling wine snob). It flowed freely.
Many of the male artists and I think all the female artists entirely ignored the dress-code of suits and cocktail dresses.
A BBC presenter I didn't recognise assured Amber Rudd he'd had his passport checked before naming Zara MacFarlane vocalist of the year.
Omar gave the award for best soul act to Moonchild, who couldn't be there but thanked us via the big screenA copy of their album turned up in the party bag, but only time will tell if they ever come up with anything to compare with any of Leroy’s masterpieces.
Soweto Kinch presented the award for International Artist to Cecile McLorin Salvant, whose performance caused something of a stir, not least with fellow Americans Metheny and Esperanza Spalding, who then presented the award for Jazz Innovation to the manager of Shabaka Hutchings, who accepted it on his behalf.
Evan Parker accepted the award for Instrumentalist.
Voted for by Jazz FM listeners, Drunk by Thundercat was named the best album by Anoushka (daughter of Ravi) Shankar and was accepted via the big screen.
China Moses presented the award for Breakthrough Artist to Nubya Garcia, who followed it with a rousing performance.
Nitin Sawhney presented Pat Metheny with the Gold Award, who read his acceptance speech, illustrating why it's best to use notes.
Seun (youngest son of Afrobeat Godfather Fela) Kuti - incidentally appearing at Sage Gateshead tonight (May 2) - gave the award for live performance to the Ezra Collective, following a public vote.
The Impact Award was presented by Tito Jackson to George Benson who also accepted via the big screen.
The Digital Award was presented by Corinna Bailey Rae to Esperanza Spalding, who followed it with a performance. 
Paul Jones gave a burst on harmonica before naming Robert Cray Blues Artist, who accepted it on the screen.
The penultimate award was another public vote and was presented by food critic Jay Rayner to the Ezra Collective, their second of the evening.
Finally, Jacqui Dankworth gave an emotional introduction to her mother Cleo Laine, who received the Lifetime Achievement award and sang I've Got A Crush On You accompanied by piano.

Thoughts.

Jazz is simultaneously the coolest and amongst the squarest music on the planet. On the odd occasions when it escapes the borders of the planet, it's always cool. Sometimes, as you go through life, you realise that something you thought was cool was no more than a construct by the white, middle-class, middle-aged squares who run the mass media. Sometimes you realise that something you thought was terribly square was the height of cool in 1912, or whenever.
Tonight the whole spectrum of Jazz was on display, reflecting the current state of jazz, blues and soul, the radio station and the ceremony, which was both extremely cool and extremely square, but not necessarily in the right order.  

Full List of Winners.

Breakthrough - Nubya Garcia.
Soul - Moonchild.
UK - Ezra Collective.
Digital - Esperanza Spalding.
Instrumentalist - Evan Parker.
Blues - Robert Cray.
Innovation - Shaba Hutchings.
Vocal - Zara MacFarlane.
International - Cecile McLorin Salvant.
Album - Drunk by Thundercat. 
Live - Ezra Collective.
Gold Award - Pat Metheny.
Impact - George Benson.
Lifetime Achievement - Cleo Laine.

Steve T.

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