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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 2024).

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...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

17328 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 612 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (Sept. 5).

From This Moment On ...

September

Tue 10: ???

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.

Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.

Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.

Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Jude Murphy, Steve Chambers & Sid White @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Panharmonia @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Swing Manouche @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: John Hallam with the James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert!

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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