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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Tyneside Cinema: The Geordie Jazzman - a film by Abi Lewis.

(Review by Lance).
You wait a long time for a legend then two come along almost at once. Thursday night, at Washington Arts Centre, The Desert Queen told the story of Gertrude Bell. A lady who defied convention to help make the Arab world a better place.
The Geordie Jazzman told the story of Keith Crombie and the Jazz Café, Newcastle. A gentleman who defied convention to help make the northeast a better place - at least music-wise. Whether either one of them succeeded is debatable. The middle-east is in disarray and jazz has no shortage of warring tribes either.
This was the second time I'd seen the film and, as one of the pundits said afterward, "I picked up on many of the nuances I missed the first time around".
Me too. The man was such an enigma.
Beneath the public facade was a person of unique intellect. Like Lewis Carroll's walrus, he could talk of many things and not just shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings, although I'm sure he'd have opinions on all of those items.
Abi Lewis captured the essence of her subject, warts and all. An opinionated man, his views were strong. and it was irrelevant to him whether you agreed or disagreed. It didn't matter if you fell into the latter category, if he liked you he liked you and vice-versa.
The full house (there's another screening on August 18), five years after his death, was a testimony to the man's charisma as was the New Orleans style funeral parade through rhe streets of Newcastle behind the horse-drawn hearse, the band and the mourners.
There may have been a dry eye in the house but, if there was, it wasn't mine.
Chapeau Abi Lewis.
Bravo Gypsy Dave Smith for his solo performance. Singing and playing the blues as he did for many years at the Jazz Café.
Bon Voyage Keith.
The panel discussion afterward, hosted by film historian Chris Phipps, provided further insight into the man and the process of putting it [the film] altogether.
I missed the Q & A session but enjoyed hanging out afterward with Jazz Café society both ancient and modern whilst listening to, among others, Lindsay Hannon (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass) and Mark Robertson (drums). All appeared at various points during the film with Mark and Don Forbes (trumpet) playing a prominent role in the narration.
Never did the song There Will Never be Another You have greater relevance.
Lance.

4 comments :

John Hallam (on F/b) said...

Pity I couldn't make it. The Dick Straughan Band played the first night at the cafe. We arrived early to find the place shut. Then he arrived and asked us to help setting it out. What a state it was in. We almost spent more time moving chairs etc than playing!

John Hallam (on F/b) said...

He used to have a "junktique" shop on the opposite corner to the cafe. I called in occasionally for a look and a natter. One day an anorak called in and was minutely examining the model railway stuff. He kept pointing out all the defects and Keith was getting fed up. Eventually, he snatched one out of the customer's hand, smashed it on the counter and said something on the lines of " I don't suppose you want this anymore?"
That was Keith!

Patti Durham (on F/b) said...

It was an excellent tribute to the man and the venue ..... but I thought it a great shame that some of the folk in the Q and A session afterwards said they'd never set foot in The Jazz Cafe as it is now - out of principle, or what? They're missing out on some fabulous jazz!

Hugh said...

I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Agree with Patti (above) regarding the comments in the Q and A. I actually had never set foot in the Jazz Cafe as it was (during Crombie's time) - I mentioned this after the film to one of those attending who commented: you didn't miss much, it was a sh*t hole!

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