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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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

June

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.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Monday, June 11, 2018

DJazz reflections...

(...by Steve H)
Just a brief note on the bands from the Djazz festival that I saw but haven’t had a previous mention on BSH.
On Friday night, the Empty Shop hosted 2 bands from out of town.
First up was Manchester’s Early Nite. I had enjoyed seeing them about a year ago at The Bridge and once again they produced a very enjoyable set. The band play short sharp improvised pieces with a high degree of energy. They also like to add a touch of humour to their performances which is fine in small doses but, on this occasion, they possibly overdid the jokes to the detriment of an otherwise very fine performance.
Belfast outfit Robocobra Quartet concluded the proceedings for day one of the festival.  

Billed as ‘minininfluence from jazz, hardcore and contemporary classical music’ they seemed as close to jazz as Kylie is to grand opera.  However, ‘Howling’ drummer Chris Ryan gives a sterling performance. I have nothing against heavy metal covers   I’ve heard some great jazz versions of Nirvana songs by more than one jazz performer but this band’s cover of a  Guns and Roses song did nothing for me and kind of summed up the whole performance for lively, energetic, raucous but just not jazz.
On Saturday evening I went to the charming Barber of Neville improvised venue to see JFrisco . Billed as a trio they were, in fact, a duo on the night as keyboard player Jemma Freese was performing in Holland. Nevertheless, Megan Roe on guitar/vocals and Lara Jones on sax/electronics seemed to cover for the missing third seamlessly. Incorporating all sorts of additional special effects - mobile phones, bubble wrap, Tibetan sound bowls etc. they produced a mesmerising soundscape which captivated the audience. It may not be jazz as some know it but as a piece of improvised music it was second to none.
Sunday afternoon saw me back at the Empty Shop for Shatner’s Bassoon. I had seen this band a couple of weeks back at the Jazz Cafe where they had the floor shaking so knew I what to expect and I certainly wasn’t disappointed as their unique brand of heavy metal punk jazz got the day off to an exhilarating start.  There could be no better way to finish the festival than a visit to the Jam Jah to see my current favourite band Skeltr. They didn’t disappoint and their wonderful swirly electronic musical magic carpet ride musical was actually enhanced by it being in a standing venue.
 So a wonderful end to a fantastic festival I really enjoyed being able to dip in and out of the tremendous variety of gigs that were on offer as opposed to having to decide well in advance of the event what you wanted to see and all for a tenner- amazing.

Steve H.

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