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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

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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